Roll up, roll up: Dior runs away with the circus at haute couture show in Paris

Staged in an authentic big top tent, albeit a very chic one free from the smell of livestock, Dior’s artistic director went all out on theatrics enlisting a troupe of acrobats and contortionists to take a turn on the catwalk alongside her collection.

The circus has long formed an integral part of the Christian Dior story - Monsieur Dior regularly attended the Cirque d’hiver - and this collection was a rewriting of that chapter of its history with Grazia Chiuri looking to Victorian fairgrounds and Cindy Sherman’s unnerving clown photographs for inspiration.

Accordingly, ruffle collars, jester patchwork and brave silhouettes were among the take homes today with Grazia Chiuri looking to the great topsy turvy fantasists to create a collection she hoped would speak to contemporary fans of the brand.

Loaded with options for the highest paying fashion consumer, the highlights came via raw edged silk bandage gowns, thigh high tutus and a remarkable use of embroidery used to add detail to unitards in muted shades.

Model's sporting skull caps took to the catwalk in harlequin silk trapeze cut gowns featuring oversized bows and lashings of glittering beadwork, but at the heart of the showcase was a sense of time passing, of decay and the idea that, while the greatest of old traditions may not be celebrated the way they once were, they remain loaded with beauty.

A dusty palette and an intentionally imperfect finish served to further emphasis this notion of ageing. There was a sense that these were clothes that had been pulled out of a fancy dress box and restored for the 21st century consumer.

It was also an opportunity for Grazia Chiuri to demonstrate her prowess as a tailor. Dazzling ringmaster jackets and a series of elegantly cut bloomers were among the most appealing additions to the showcase.

Truly, all that was missing was the flying elephant.