Dior turns the catwalk into a fairy tale

The Parisian company Dior paid tribute to legendary women of the 1950s, such as Catherine Dior, Édith Piaf and Juliette Gréco, who inspired a collection of skirts with capes, men’s blouses and linen coats, in a magical setting of large embroidered sculptures.

Entering the room, inside the ephemeral installation in the Parisian gardens Tuileries, it was rare not to hear “Oh!” surprises among guests discovering the stage.

A group of gigantic sculptures hung from the sky like a pendulum, embroidered with fabrics, sequins, lace and lights, which turned the place into an enchanted fair.

An installation made by a Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos from textiles with which he explored the universe of the house, from floral prints to leopard print, which could later be seen on clothing pieces.

“We worked in the universe of flowers to honor the Creator’s sister, Catherine Dior. I wanted to make a giant flower with all the careful details of handicrafts, embroidery, the same way the brand works with clothes,” Vasconcelos told reporters before the start of the parade.

Sister of Christian Dior She was a very active member of the French Resistance Movement, which is why she was arrested by the Gestapo during the Nazi occupation and sent to a concentration camp. She returned from there physically weak, but even more compromised. Her brother created the now legendary perfume Miss Dior in her honor.

With Catherine as the heroine, the current designer of the company Italian Maria Grazia Chiurihe returned to the codes of the 50s and, above all, to the famous “New Look” conceived by Dior in 1947, giving it a more masculine touch, with loose shirts and sleeves rolled up inside a skirt or an outfit with a white shirt and black tie.

The collection opened with a series of tubular midi dresses, in black or with a print like the Prince of Wales, in fabric deliberately crumpled because, apparently, it must have reached Dior’s ears that the iron was losing its following in the Western world.

Together with “Miss Dior”, the singers Juliette Gréco and Édith Piaf, with their unmistakable “Je ne regrette rien” (I regret nothing), which sounded like an anthem as the models paraded.

clothes with attitude

Almost a hundred outfits that, despite the inspiration, wanted to be modern: the “New look” of a fitted jacket and flowing skirt was transformed into denim, along with a pencil skirt and high military boots. He classic coat “caban”, a sailor type, is worn over evening dresses, with or without a hood.

Flowers were translated into embroideries on cape skirts, with a lot of fluff, or in discreet decorations on corsets and breeches, which were visible under a cardigan and skirt set in black with transparent foil.

This autumn-winter 2023/2024 collection, presented on the second Day of Paris Fashion Weekshe wanted to be an ode to independent and unique women, a profile that Chiuri has been extolling since joining Dior, with her feminist messages and multiple collaborations with artists.

They were black and white binomial a favorite on the catwalk, although some impressionistic prints stood out, on dresses with crossed necklines, tank tops or skirts, executed as if by brushstrokes in electric blue, red, yellow and green.

Mohair sweaters have become one of the key pieces, over pencil cut skirts and dresses, with gradient or leopard print.

“This collection is a trace of femininity against the current. Rebel. strong and brittle“, said the Italian designer in a press release.

The show did not pass without friends and brand ambassadors, such as charlize theron actress, who attended the show front row in a 1920s-style, Gatsby-esque dress; as well as South Korean singer Jisoo; among others, the Israeli actress Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman, the British Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) or the Spanish designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada.