The fashion industry is always in a state of renewal and rejuvenation, much like the cycle of a fashion house. Dior, like many fashion houses, embraces the past, present and future, seamlessly blending them together in their latest collection. The artistic director, Kim Jones, drew inspiration from the regeneration of the house after the passing of Christian Dior and the rejuvenation under the guidance of Yves Saint Laurent, who was Dior’s chosen successor.
The Fall/Winter 2023 collection was heavily influenced by the literary motifs of T.S. Eliot, and the living inspiration of the rivers Thames and Seine. The ancient flow of history and change through these rivers served as a metaphor for the constant movement and change in the fashion industry.
65 years ago, on January 30th, 1958, Yves Saint Laurent presented his debut collection for Dior, which forever changed the fashion world. The collection drew inspiration from the Spring/Summer ’58 collection, blending masculine and feminine styles, and infusing British tailoring traditions with haute couture. The collection exuded movement, modernity, practicality and ease, streamlining excess and fusing formal and casual styles.
The silhouettes were softened, curved and malleable, while the clothing was hybridized and transformed, giving agency to the wearer. The garments were taken directly from the archive, transposed and transformed to create a new look. The traditional vernacular of knits was subverted through a sculptural approach to styling and draping, resulting in a collection that is both precise and complex, yet effortless in appearance.
©Dior
