Flowers of Dior.

PARIS — Before a single sculpted skirt swayed down the runway, or a blue shoe stepped daintily forward, or a model pursed her scarlet lips under a light veil and shook her long, flat hair, the debut Christian Dior couture collection from Raf Simons said it with flowers. Five grand rooms of a classic Parisian mansion were filled with one million blooms: walls thick with white orchids, yellow mimosa and blue delphiniums — just the colors that would appear on the runway. “I wanted it to be linked to the codes of Christian Dior — but to make it dynamic, modern, energetic,” Mr. Simons, 44, said after the winter 2012 couture show to explain his own historic/modern approach. The blooms were a homage to Mr. Dior’s “Flower Woman” and passion for gardens.

My favourite pieces from the collection...