For the Spring/Summer 2024 collection, Dion Lee, the Australian designer who has been captivating fashion enthusiasts worldwide, took an innovative approach by interweaving utility and construction elements into his designs. During a preview, Lee shared that this season was primarily about evolving the utility and construction language he had been experimenting with until now. This reflection on the scaffolding and industrial design seen in his Melbourne and Miami stores, as well as the utilitarian detailing he has been exploring, sheds light on his genius as a designer – the ability to focus and expand upon a specific theme while maintaining the distinct identity of his clothes.
At Dion Lee’s Spring/Summer 2024 show, spectators were greeted with a series of ensembles that evoked the essence of workwear, yet redefined it in a surprisingly vast range of hardware-clad interpretations. One of the standout pieces included a white button-down-and-bodysuit hybrid adorned with wrenches on top of the boning that shaped its corseted torso. Paired with thigh-high boots featuring integrated tool belts, this outfit set the tone for a collection that celebrated the fusion of office wear and tools. Other memorable designs featured a tailored jacket with slashed seams to hold a belt instead of pockets, metal bars placed over the seams of a white shirt, and a crepe frock intricately draped and ruched around an anatomically shaped structure at the abdomen.
One of the compelling aspects of Lee as a designer is his penchant for experimenting with unconventional materials. He started playing with power cords as a way to drape for his fall campaign, which carried over into this collection in the form of shirring details made with bungee cords. A fun and quirky example of this was a pair of trousers with its back label replaced by an outlet, and the model carrying a coiled orange cord as a shoulder bag. Additionally, Lee used screwheads instead of studs, turned suede work boots into tiny corsets, applied lacing details to bottoms, and draped airy dresses adorned with pin-tuck details around jewelry shaped like screws.
Adding a sleek hint of texture to the collection, Lee laminated denim and introduced foiled leather, used in bubble-hem skirts and dresses that added a welcome variation of shape. He also expanded the sizing in his casting, a move that was much appreciated. Another interesting development was Lee’s departure from his usual monochromatic palette and strict category groupings, as he aimed to offer an “exaggerated brand wardrobe.” This move signaled a shift from the reductive label of his clothes as rave-ready, to a more versatile and comprehensive range of options for his customers.
Read more: Dior Spa’s opulent oasis beckons at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris
©Photo: Dion Lee
