PFW: Christian Dior in many shades of blue

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Mar 3, 2017

‘My generation was all about black, but Monsieur Dior did love his blue. He said they both had the same qualities,” smiled Chiuri in the backstage of her second ready-to-wear show for Christian Dior.

A collection resolutely targeted at young dynamic women, with a soupçon of rebel that has rapidly freshened up the Dior image.

Opening with a series of navy and midnight blues, used in superb taffeta trench-coats, made in plissé silk below the waist.  Sport met tailoring in windowpane check-cape jackets or athletic silk tops worn over low-slung jeans. For evening, her semi-sheer cocktails, embroidered with an explosion of comets, stars and lilies were all rather divine.

Chiuri also whipped up some great accessories: from suede thigh boots to natty ankle boots with faux ski boot clasps. While her choice of bags using the CD signature pattern – worn slung over the shoulder - will keep the avenue Montaigne’s house cash registers busy.

Chiuri mixed in lots of masculine references, notably a trio of blue French workers' pants and jackets – done in bleu du travail – stamped with black hands and stars. All of them about a million miles away from the grand aesthetic of Monsieur Dior.

“I think we need to live in our times. So we need to speak about equality and consider the no-gender movement. To include military, sport or work uniforms with our collections, another reason for so much blue. Blue uniforms are, of course, a sign of gender.  For pink will always be for ladies,” laughed the Italian designer.

That said, this was not quite a 100% smash-hit show. Quite why Dior invited the great and the good into the beautiful garden of the Rodin Museum, and then marched them into a darkened nightclub tent was hard to fathom. Moreover, the casting lacked a little oomph – too many pale young ladies in dark berets.

However, after 28 years attending Christian Dior shows one can only say that never have we seen so much cool commercial fashion and accessories in a show by this house. They will sell, as the French say, comme des petits pains – like hotcakes.