In choosing New York for the Dior Fall 2024 runway show, Maria Grazia Chiuri pays homage to founder Christian Dior’s affection for the city that never sleeps, which continues to inspire a dialogue between two style capitals.
Staged at the Brooklyn Museum, the Dior silhouettes open a new chapter in the story that links the French fashion house and the United States. From Paris to New York, the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty come alive in emblematic prints on models. Staples of the American wardrobe get the star treatment, including flight jackets and baseball uniforms. The red and blue of the American flag gleam brightly in a revisited sportswear silhouette.
Bridging the two cultures and celebrating sartorial freedom for women, Maria Grazia Chiuri also turned to Marlène Dietrich for inspiration. The charismatic German actress, who became an American citizen and also lived in Paris, was a loyal follower of Dior style, both onscreen and in her personal attire. Her celebrated boyish allure is echoed in a collection dominated by black. Masculine codes are reappropriated by women, including a tie, wide-leg pants with pleats and jackets. The tweeds used come directly from a selection of English menswear fabrics. Dresses featured fabrics such as hammered satin, crushed velvet and crepe reinterpreted in a contemporary spirit. Lingerie becomes an essential part of very light dresses, recalling a ‘40s style. Monsieur Dior’s beloved star, lily of the valley, clover and bee signature codes are found in brooch-like embroideries.
The scenography brings together works by American artist Suzanne Santoro – notably I Thought Art Was For Women – and the feminist art collective Claire Fontaine (the duo Fulvia Carnevale and James Thornhill). Their colorful neons evoke the gesture symbolizing female genitalia reprised during feminist demonstrations in the 1970s and 80s. With a soundtrack by Yoko Ono, the Dior silhouettes in the Fall collection are a celebration of women’s independence, sartorial creativity and right to control their own bodies.
Images courtesy of LVMH
