Christian Dior Fall Couture 2012: See Every Single Look Here

11:45 AM, July 3 2012

By Elana Fishman

Yesterday morning, Raf Simons showed his very first couture collection as Dior's new creative director—and although the entire fashion industry anticipated a stellar lineup, it's safe to say Simons exceeded everyone's expectations. Heck, he even managed to top his jaw-dropping final collection for Jil Sander—no small feat.

Sending his models through an array of rooms with lush flower-covered walls, Simons sent out a mix of looks that referenced Christian Dior's signature Bar jacket (in the form of a slim pantsuit), his late-'40s "New Look" (via voluminous ballgowns) and tweed suiting (with romantic grey coats). But despite those retro references, nothing on display looked overly vintage-y or stuffy in the least—these were archival-inspired clothes gone modern. Especially stunning were the peplum-style "cut-off ballgowns," which came in a variety of fabrics, all richly embellished, and were worn over simple black pants. We also loved the strapless striped tea-length dresses cut from feathers and airy chiffon.

Click through to see all 54 incredible looks. We can't wait to see these dresses on the red carpet very soon—if there's a celebrity worthy of their beauty and craftsmanship, of course.