PARIS, March 1, 2006 - "Gothic Chic" was not the headline screaming across the French press on Wednesday morning. Instead it was "Bird Flu Jumps to Cat", as a fast evolving pandemic took precedence over the fashion buzz.

Still, that former phrase could have described the Dior collection shown Tuesday evening in the Grand Palais. Models wearing oversized sparkly sunglasses and black head bands trouped down the runway, their expensive faces nearly obscured (you have to wonder if it was worth the price of their turn on the catwalk).

Aside from a finale of red fluttering chiffon, the basic color scheme barely budged from black in what by anybody's estimation was a subdued collection from John Galliano. "Profits" being the stamped in invisible ink on the label of anything Ready-to-Wear from Christian Dior, one might conclude that market forces dictated the Fall 2006 collection.

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