Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week: Dior Wows on Day One

Paris Haute Couture fashion week has officially kicked off.

High-profile designers from across the globe have descended on the French capital to showcase creations from their respective collections.

Over the next five days, the fashion world will see the flamboyant offerings for next season and just how much colour blocking, feminine ruffles and exquisite prints the designers can squeeze into their collections.

Belgian designer Raf Simons, who replaced John Galliano as creative director at French high-end fashion brand Christian Dior in April, debuted his second Dior couture collection on the first day of the Paris Haute Couture.

For this collection, Simons drew inspiration from classic fairytales and featured feminine designs that accentuated the silhouette.

Dresses were clinched at the waist in opulent layers of silk and organza, while skirts were voluminous and extravagant.

Although Simons experimented with hues of blue and pale pink for the evening wear which was embellished and embroidered, he also made sure not to stray too far from Dior's famed silk bustier and peplum shapes.

The ready-to-wear collection offered contrast in the form of Matador trousers and tailored blazers and also featured an unconventional colour palette of mint, burnt orange and aubergine.

The Alice in Wonderland theme was completed with a catwalk made up of a maze of bushes for the models to weave in and out of.

Models sported dark pixie crop wigs, deep red lips and pale skin to complement the fairy-tale fashion show.

"It was very beautiful, modern and a relevant take on couture," said Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman after the show. "Although he used traditional aspects of Dior - the peplum, the jacket shapes, the volume in the skirts and the bustiers - it was done in a restrained way."

IBTimes UK has a look at some of the best looks from the Dior Haute Couture collection...