You can’t look to the future without having explored past and present. Kim Jones is aware of this premise, and his Dior Men Fall/Winter 2021 collection proves it. Presented last Friday through a digital show, the collection is the result of a collaboration with Peter Doig, one of the most outstanding contemporary painters, whose exotic masterpieces imbued with depth and mystery melt on the garments and hats (as we anticipated) coexisting with the meticulous craftsmanship of the Maison, in what Jones describes as "a ceremonial dress carried into everyday life.”
We all know that a face-to-face show is not the same as a presentation through a screen. Smartphones dissipate much of the excitement and nervousness that turn these detailed events into authentic experiences, but they also offer some benefits. One of them, the possibility of enlarging the images with zoom to appreciate the details. And that is precisely what the new Dior collection is crying out for: stopping for a moment and have a look the meticulous craftsmanship. Its greatest example? A long coat and a shirt embroidered by the legendary Vermont Paris inspired by Marc Bohan's Rosella evening dress, who worked at Dior for more than 30 years.
Kim Jones’ interest in history goes much further, taking the form of uniforms inspired by the Académie des Beaux-Arts, elevating menswear to a category where haute couture and the functionality demanded by the new times converge. And it is in this reinvention that the work of the Scottish artist based in Trinidad and Tobago, Peter Doig, makes an appearance. Being present in the creative process from the beginning to the final fittings, the renowned painter created two emblems for this new collection in the shape of animals. A portrait of Bobby, honouring Christian Dior’s dog, who also inspired the bag of the same name devised by Maria Grazia Chiuri; and a lion (which we already saw in the fashion show invitation) that recalls an outfit designed and made by Pierre Cardin for a masked ball in 1949.
Colour opens up as the show progresses, and the dark tones are sprinkled with yellow, orange and green notes, in the form of brushstrokes recreating Doig’s work. The buttons are taken from the iconic Bar jacket and the confluence of military inspiration and knitwear stand out, being completed with Stephen Jones’ hats. Savoir-faire and art references to give menswear a new meaning.
Kim Jones’ interest in history goes much further, taking the form of uniforms inspired by the Académie des Beaux-Arts, elevating menswear to a category where haute couture and the functionality demanded by the new times converge. And it is in this reinvention that the work of the Scottish artist based in Trinidad and Tobago, Peter Doig, makes an appearance. Being present in the creative process from the beginning to the final fittings, the renowned painter created two emblems for this new collection in the shape of animals. A portrait of Bobby, honouring Christian Dior’s dog, who also inspired the bag of the same name devised by Maria Grazia Chiuri; and a lion (which we already saw in the fashion show invitation) that recalls an outfit designed and made by Pierre Cardin for a masked ball in 1949.
Colour opens up as the show progresses, and the dark tones are sprinkled with yellow, orange and green notes, in the form of brushstrokes recreating Doig’s work. The buttons are taken from the iconic Bar jacket and the confluence of military inspiration and knitwear stand out, being completed with Stephen Jones’ hats. Savoir-faire and art references to give menswear a new meaning.
