Christian Diors invisible runway at the Louvre is a hit at Paris fashion week

For a lesson in how to balance reverence with iconoclasm you need look no further than the catwalk shows of Raf Simons at Christian Dior.

And this balancing act is not just a clever trick; the bottom line depends on it. For the veneration felt by luxury backers LVMH for the illustrious past of Dior is matched only by their determination that Dior should dominate the future. It wouldnt be a true Christian Dior collection without a nod to a Bar jacket, or a New Look suit, or a houndstooth check; but it must never feel old-fashioned, or it wont sell.