John Galliano’s devotion to a theme is only one of the immense things about the man. He got so into the sailing, tropical theme for his spring 2011 Dior show, which walked this morning in Paris, that he took his bow wearing a pirate outfit, his hair in two beach-perfect fishtail braids. Those plaits were only one scrap of the excitement!

The models, some of whom wore leis, worked their small sailor hats by giving salutes at the end of the runway, which was made to appear like a rusty slipway. The girls appeared at the other end from a set that looked like a desert island.

Little flowers germinated toward the floor from the crocheted middle of one, looking almost like Christmas-tree ornaments poised by tentacles. Some skirts resembled grass hula styles, creation the show seem at times just a coconut bra away from a no-food luau.

But the most exciting thing about this collection is that it ties rather to the mermaid theme that’s been teetering on the edge of full fashion-world acceptance for concerning a year. As soon as a celebrity cool goes out in a seashell bra, the ‘maids will in fact be in business.