EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL<br/> You could call it the Oscar effect but it seems as if Dior couture looked to the red carpet for inspiration.<br/> Perhaps it was this year's much-lauded French film "The Artist" which racked up six nominations on Tuesday (January 24), including Best Picture.<br/> The film which pays homage to Hollywood's Golden Age seemed the perfect look for the runway.<br/> Dior's couture collection on Monday (January 23) delved into the old to produce the new.<br/> The "New Look" from the 1950s included exaggerated cinched-in waists and billuous skirts.<br/> Today, they were paired with jackets that were short and chic, made of embroidered silk or black crocodile.<br/> Layers of translucent silk were piled high on skirts to create a swirl of cloud around the skirt.<br/> Vast ball gowns in bright red and black rounded out the collection.<br/> This is only designer Bill Gaytten's second couture show and the reaction from critics was more favourable than last October.<br/> It's been almost a year now since its former designer John Galliano was ousted for making anti-Semitic remarks.<br/> The embattled fashion house is still looking for someone to take on design duties.<br/> Now the talk is of Belgian designer Raf Simons after American Marc Jacobs took himself out of the running in December.<br/> For now, Dior isn't talking about its search, focusing only at the moment, on the clothes.<br/> Cindy Martin, Reuters
