Dior, with Maria Grazia Chiuri, has made a powerful fashion statement, channeling the essence of deities, sacred rituals, and animal energies through an unparalleled tapestry created exclusively for this runway.
The collection and tapestry draw inspiration from ancient cultures of the Mediterranean, Anatolia, the Golden Crescent, and even India.
Backstage, an inspiration board showcased images of statues of Ariadne, Artemis, Athena, Diotima, Apollo Citharaedus, a dancing Maenad, an Iraqi female spirit with bird legs, and a Roman princess with a drawn-back cape and sabre.
Just like the multiple coats and capes seen in the collection, including magnificent double-faced wool coats in raw color that open up, and like the statues, the first 20 looks were in pale or raw white tones.
Another significant silhouette proposition by Maria Grazia was the Roman toga, whose curved lines were suggested by off-shoulder raw silk tulle dresses and robes. Decoration was gradually introduced: petal-shaped shirts, meticulously hand-pleated folds, and geometric motifs and jewelry.
For the evening, Chiuri incorporated shimmering corsets and long dresses with a touch of 1960s style, along with adorned long skirts and voluminous cotton blouses. Surprisingly, for Haute Couture, a restrained look was maintained, including the footwear. An extensive series of flat shoes and Roman sandals paraded on the pine plank runway.
The tapestry and set design, created by artist Marta Roberti and meticulously hand-stitched at Mumbai’s Chanakya workshop, are arguably the most beautiful to date in Chiuri’s reign at Dior. The three custom-made gray walls of the Dior space were transformed into something magical with backlit images of various figures like the Bronze Age’s Potnia Theron, Ishtar, Cybele, Durga in Hinduism, and the Aztec goddess Coatlicue, all playing in an impressive bestiary.
Supported by a romantic and dramatic soundtrack by Michel Gaubert, including the song “Tears can be so soft” by Christine and the Queens, Dior presented a formidable show. It was the most refined and aesthetically coherent among all the major fashion houses today.
Prior to the show, during a conference with Italian editors, Maria Grazia reflected on the unrest present in society today.
“My time in Paris has not always been easy. It started with the Bataclan, and now we have had five days of violence. The death of Nahel was a terrible tragedy, and a lesson that we all have to open our minds and realize that something has to change,” commented the Italian designer.
Another major concern is the increasing intolerance towards different ideas and sexual preferences. “I find it shocking that books are now being banned in libraries in states like Florida. I have even seen images in public places that say, ‘No gays.’ It seems sad and dangerous that something like this is happening in the United States, which I consider a sanctuary of democracy.”
Considering the recent tragic killing of unarmed young man Nahel Merzouk by highway police on the outskirts of Paris and the ensuing turmoil in France, Haute Couture might seem like a slightly insignificant topic at the moment. However, its ephemeral nature represents what is elegant and noble in France, an ideal of beauty in which so many unhappy young people from disadvantaged communities would desire to participate. That’s why this collection and its celebration of female emancipation remain highly relevant.
“It took me a long time to understand the importance of Dior for Paris and for France. I believe no other fashion house means as much to a culture as Dior does. Because Christian Dior’s designs created a new image for this country right after the terrible destruction of World War II. Monsieur Dior was, in fact, the ambassador of France,” concluded Chiuri.
