After fifteen years at Christian Dior, John Galliano was fired for inveterate alcoholism and being rather racist this spring. While Galliano fights a court case, Dior has dragged its feet in replacing him. So the brand went ahead with a couture show in Paris yesterday without a new designer. The pieces in the collection ranged from brightly colored to very sparkly to extremely ruffled, with no apparent theme. Something about "roses" was mentioned. (Galliano did a rather spectacular couture collection based on flowers one year ago.) And something about "modern architecture." (I really can see the influence of Saarinen in that twirly-candystripe skirt...not.) It was, in short, a mess. And the critics hated it.