Dior Men Cruise 2024 (Resort 2024) collection – a transitional phase masterfully encapsulated by Artistic Director Kim Jones – beautifully blurs the lines between past and future, high fashion and vintage. It is a testament to Jones’s creative aptitude, with his next show marking his fifth anniversary at the helm of this prestigious fashion house.
The Pre-Spring collection, or “between-stages” season, showcases the wide-ranging prowess of Dior Men, offering an eclectic assortment of clothing and accessories. It is, however, not merely a preface to Jones’s half-decade milestone celebration, but rather a testament to the refined design language he has cultivated for Dior Men, a blend of his British heritage and the timeless elegance of Dior.
At the heart of the Dior Men Cruise 2024 collection lies the 1980s Buffalo style, popularized by Ray Petri, which is intertwined with a quintessential Dior color palette. “The Buffalo style was my first encounter with the London style of melding high fashion with vintage as a young person“, Jones muses, acknowledging the lasting impact of this vibrant youth subculture. He is a walking treasury of these subcultures, skillfully weaving them into his designs to create fresh, modern narratives.
Ray Petri, the pivotal figure behind the innovative concepts of ”styling” and ”street-casting” for men’s editorial shoots in the British magazines The Face, i-D and Arena, is a vital source of inspiration for Jones. In tribute, Jones deftly constructs his evolving Dior wardrobe, with elements such as boxer shorts paired with coats and heavy military boots; half-kilts echoing both Buffalo skirts and elements of his recent awe-inspiring show in Cairo; and his take on the classic MA-1 flight jackets, reminiscent of the Buffalo-style that was once a staple of London’s gay working-class clubwear.
The collection is punctuated by an ingenious integration of British argyle patterns and Christian Dior’s lozenge-shaped logo, underlining Jones’s proficiency in French couture. The logo is revived from a design etched in the 1960s Dior archives, while the jewelry, including safety-pinned CD medals on jackets and silver chain belts, is reminiscent of the French Legion d’Honneur’s Grand Cross. This gesture also serves as an homage to Petri’s iconic styling of vintage brooches as pins on kilts and vintage coats in a groundbreaking shoot by Marc Lebon for The Face in 1984.
Despite the wealth of references, it’s the relatability and applicability of Dior Men that magnetizes shoppers. The genius of Kim Jones lies in his ability to maintain the integrity of tailoring, all the while adapting it to align with the current trend of casual dressing. He accomplishes this seamlessly, modernizing classic codes to reflect the contemporary man’s sartorial needs. “It’s not about adhering strictly to black-tie formalities, but rather enhancing comfort within smart attire“, he concludes, citing the Cannes Film Festival as a prime example.
The Dior Men Cruise 2024 collection is, in essence, a celebration of crossing borders, both geographically and stylistically – an affirmation of Kim Jones’s undeniable talent as he prepares to embark on the next chapter of his journey with Dior.
Read more: Fendi goes to Tuscany: Men’s Spring/Summer 2024 show to unveil in Florence during Pitti Uomo
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