MISS DIOR: UNIVERSAL FEMININITY
The hunger for rebellion, freedom, and equality that characterised the 60s, transformed the fashion industry, which took the shape of a more democratic pret a porter, the fashion leader obliged and adapted to the new waves of the industry.
In a time when fashion luxury houses were directed for the elite, a new form of production came into trend, and Maisons of the kind of Ives Saint Laurent or Dior presented an entry to their exclusive universe through ready-to-wear collections that appealed to a younger audience.
In 1967, under the name of a boutique named Miss Dior, Marc Bohan brilliantly captivated the juvenile generation of the time with its youthful proposals that could be bought off-the-peg in juxtaposition with the three-month-wait and private fittings that their mothers had enjoyed as part of the high couture ritual.
This historic reference serves as a point of inspiration for Maria Grazia Chiuri´s latest collection for Dior which was presented on the 27th of February 2024 as part of Paris Fashion Week’s program.
Marc Bohan, always a visionary, was a pioneer in the utilization of logos as a form of attraction to broader masses, implementing a boldly chic Miss Dior logo in buttons of jackets and other pieces of garments as a form of publicity. That same logo has appeared printed over skirts, blazers, trench coats, and signature bags. Bohan, who served as the predecessor of Saint Laurent, was in charge of bringing Dior’s relevance back, and he succeeded. A director of the house from 1960 to 1989, he died on the 6th of September 2023.
The genius of Bohan resided in his ability to create an atemporal shape and silhouette that would accommodate to every woman’s body since there would be no fittings and adjustments as in couture. This vision fits right into the founder’s desire of “dressing all women”. Each body is different, and he reinterpreted fashion in a form that would speak to every woman.
Navy blue, black, beige, and white are reinforced as the colors of elegance while cheetah print makes its way through trench coats and jackets in different shapes and forms. The shoes included tall riding boots, scrunched at the top, ballet flats, and sandals, all of them with the empowerment feminine brand that is part of the brand’s DNA. Chiuri has adapted day-to-day garments, through fluid box-like cuts and a-line skirts that trace us back to Bohan’s archive.
In line with the feminist proposals of the designer, Chiuri draws a connection between the collection and Gabriella Crespi, a lead Italian architect internationally recognized in the interior design and architecture scene. Her distinctive style caught the attention of the creative director of Dior, who celebrated Gabriella’s legacy through rich embroideries in honor of the architect’s well-
noted passion and use of craftsmanship in her style. «She symbolises that pioneering generation of independent women determined to make a name for themselves through their work. Many of her objects and artistic pieces, contributed to the success of Dior addresses over those years.»
The sparkles and sensitivity of the brand shone through long and short dresses that encapsulated the savior faire of the French maison while coats and jackets showcased an elegant practicality that added cohesiveness to the collection.
The venue, filled with a-list celebrities like Rosalia or Jennifer Lawrence, was located in Jardin des Tuileries and was doted of a performative sense thanks to the art of the Indian-based artist Shakuntala Kulkarni. The walls were filled with various extracts from Kulknari’s film Juloos. The Bombay-based artist’s work focuses on the exploration of women’s bodies and their relationships with different spaces. This seems to add the ultimate touch to a runway show where models walked through gigantic samurai-like statues in a collection dedicated to women’s freedom and that drowns inspiration from a period where feminism and fashion merged to give birth to a new form of fashion. Miss Dior is back.
Words: @edugilhurta
