Hailing from the seaside of Normandy, France, Christian Dior began his namesake fashion house in 1946. The following year he was already presenting at Paris Fashion Week. After WWII, Dior unabashedly produced yards of clothing lush with padding, corsets, and silhouettes that blossomed from the body like flowers which, unlike wartime styles, were not stiff, boxy, and constricted by fabric rations. Dior became a name which would always be known as cutting-edge, state-of-the-art… the “new style.” Classic, but innovative, Dior attracts many as enthusiastic fans around the world, including Madonna and Nicole Kidman.
We're used to seeing the growth of major fashion brands, but this season's Christian Dior show took the theme of "growth" to a whole new level. Featuring clothing reminiscent of the trees in a forest, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri presented a flawless assortment of designs, perfect for the spring and summer seasons.
The theme was clear: animal print rules. Much like other top design houses, Dior wove animal prints throughout the collection in a beautifully chic way. Long gone are the brash, tacky prints of the past—these animal motifs exude refinement and class, not to mention extreme luxury. Animal prints, including leopard, tiger, snake, and more are seeing a massive resurgence as of late, and Dior was right on the bandwagon with its use of these classic patterns. Not to be forgotten were other hugely popular prints, including stripes and floral embroideries.
A significant style trend seen within the show was the use of dresses of all shapes and fabrications. Among these lady-like pieces in...
We're used to seeing the growth of major fashion brands, but this season's Christian Dior show took the theme of "growth" to a whole new level. Featuring clothing reminiscent of the trees in a forest, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri presented a flawless assortment of designs, perfect for the spring and summer seasons.
The theme was clear: animal print rules. Much like other top design houses, Dior wove animal prints throughout the collection in a beautifully chic way. Long gone are the brash, tacky prints of the past—these animal motifs exude refinement and class, not to mention extreme luxury. Animal prints, including leopard, tiger, snake, and more are seeing a massive resurgence as of late, and Dior was right on the bandwagon with its use of these classic patterns. Not to be forgotten were other hugely popular prints, including stripes and floral embroideries.
A significant style trend seen within the show was the use of dresses of all shapes and fabrications. Among these lady-like pieces included numerous printed, appliqued, embroidered and crystaled numbers. Filigree finishes, along with ace and raffia turned each dress into a textured wonder. Finally, the use of jacquard fabrics, silks and tulle made the dress assortment absolutely stunning. Each piece had a sense of artisanal beauty to it, honing in on Dior's keen attention to detail and intricacy.
In addition to the plethora of dresses that graced the runway, viewers also celebrated the accessories that accompanied the looks. Shoes were a focal point, including a standout perforated hiking boot and a logoed espadrille. Between the flats and heels, no model was wearing a boring shoe. Hats, particularly straw styles, finished the looks in a modern way.
As always, Dior brought a mix of femininity and masculinity to its looks, pairing traditional tailored pieces with more flowy accents. This combination appeals to today's younger crowd and is an approach many designers are taking to expand their target market as the label ages.
Kicking off Paris fashion week is no small undertaking, yet the house of Dior does so with ease. Grazia's vision for the collection revolved around the environment and sustainability. She even enlisted guidance from outside sources to get the theme just right.
Additionally, an unspoken presence could be felt throughout the evening, as another of Grazia's inspirations trickled over each look. It was none other than Catherine Dior, beloved sister of founder Christian Dior, and namesake for the brand's Miss Dior fragrance. A holocaust survivor, Catherine embodies the theme of growth, having quite literally grown from the ashes of such horrific circumstances to become a successful botanist. The feeling of Catherine's influence on the collection was widely apparent through the use of trees in the venue, which would later be moved and replanted into the Earth.
In all, the Dior Spring/Summer 2020 collection offered a glimpse into the "go green" movement, with neutral colors, floral accents, and an overall calming and revitalizing feel.
