Paris

WITH Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri expected to take the reins at Christian Dior within days, the French fashion house went back to its eminently wearable roots in its Paris haute couture show on Monday.

Swiss pair Lucie Meier and Serge Ruffieux, who have been holding the fort since the shock departure of Belgian designer Raf Simon last October, did not try to reinvent the wheel before handing over to Valentino's Chiuri. Instead they returned to one of the late founder Christian Dior's favourite visual tricks - contrasting black and white.