Dior's runway presentation during Paris Fashion Week showcased a striking fusion of fashion and art, led by creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri.
ADVERTISEMENTGolden sculptural figures resembling cane warriors, clad in billowing dresses that evoked skeletal forms, stood sentinel on Dior’s runway at Paris Fashion Week.
The exuberant display marked another chapter in Maria Grazia Chiuri ’s ongoing fusion of fashion and fine art at Paris Fashion Week.
Celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Maisie Williams, Mia McKenna-Bruce and Natalie Portman were among the star-studded audience, witnessing a collection that revisited the 1960s and the genesis of ready-to-wear at Dior.
As described by the fashion house, this era was a pivotal moment “when fashion left the atelier to conquer the world.”
A glorious fusion of art and fashion
The cane frame sculptural decor by Mumbai-based artist Shakuntala Kulkarni made for a dramatic armour-like backdrop for designs that celebrated the freedom and empowerment of ready-to-wear clothes for the modern woman.
The footwear in the collection, comprising buckled, strappy knee-high boots, directly echoed the lattice pattern of the cane ceiling. Elsewhere, garments paid homage to the iconic nipped waists and A-line silhouettes of the 1960s.
Yet, Chiuri skillfully infused these retro elements with a modern twist, incorporating sportswear styles with round-shouldered coats that exuded a minimalist feel.
Scarves, a recurring favourite of Chiuri’s, were ubiquitous for fall, and were in the program notes heralded as “protective, enveloping, and embellishing as required” for a free and worldly woman.
Among the collection’s highlights was a voluminous black crossover coat with an Asian influence, cinched at the waist and paired with a funky, studded black leather beret, standing out as a testament to Chiuri’s innovative historic fusion.
Echoing the colour palette of Marc Bohan, Dior’s designer in the 1960s, the collection dazzled in white, orange, pink and neon green, with makeup tones to match.
Dior's latest TV drama
Away from the runway, Dior has also been making headlines with the debut of The New Look, an Apple TV series chronicling the careers of Christian Dior (Ben Mendelson) and his rivalry with Gabrielle Chanel (Juliette Binoche).
Set against the backdrop of the Nazi occupation of Paris in World War II, the 10-part historical series depicts "the pivotal moment throughout the 20th century when the French city led the world back to life through its fashion icon Christian Dior."
"As Dior rises to prominence with his groundbreaking, iconic imprint of beauty and influence, Chanel’s reign as the world’s most famous fashion designer is put into jeopardy," the synopsis reads.
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