Christian Dior Couture, the fashion and accessories division of Christian Dior, enjoyed a very profitable first half, with operating profits climbing 37%. This despite a stock dip of 0.10% for the company. Christian Dior Couture sales rose by 20% at constant exchange rates for the first half. The strength of its sales figures was largely due to the succesful collections by designers John Galliano and Hedi Slimane. Women's accessories also did particularly well, especially John Galliano's "Rasta" bags and shoes, edged in red, green and gold. Bernard Arnault, Chairman, plans on developing sales locations to support sales growth. This year shops will be opening in cities like Prague, Houston, Taipei and Waikiki. The Dior label currently has 172 shops worldwide.