manager_1 Paris – A coronavirus pandemic in France has led to a dramatic change at one of France’s oldest brands. Dior tapped into a 1960s vibe to bring back a sporty and vibrant Paris catwalk on Tuesday. Dior’s spring-summer 2022 women’s collection was a reflection of a world that has learned the importance of exercise and longs for some playful “joie de vivre” in the past 18 months.
It was filled with bright neon greens and oranges, big butterfly prints and neon blues. This is far from the sophisticated chic Dior is known for. Maria Grazia Chiuri, designer at Dior, stated that there was a shift in how we feel – people feel more vulnerable and each person reacts differently. Some people want to hide, while others want to live fully. She said, “I want to live well every single day.”
There was a lot of sportswear, including looks that were inspired by judo and boxing. There were many scuba-fabric, rigid shapes that echoed Dior’s 1960s ski and sports looks. “We understood the importance sport during the pandemic. It was not only a performance but a way to feel good. Chiuri said that while we were in prison, it was necessary to keep our bodies healthy.
This marked a shift for Chiuri, who now designs fewer evening dresses than the airy, flowing evening gowns that were her signature since joining Dior in 2016. Chiuri, the first woman to head the brand, has sought to redesign the Dior Bar jacket many times, moving away form the feminine hourglass shape that characterized the brand’s postwar years. On Tuesday, it was completely absent as Chiuri chose to wear boxier and more figure-hugging styles.
“It’s very, very different”
Chiuri explained that she wanted to show more than the Bar jacket. Dior’s artisans were surprised by the new collection. It’s very minimalist and geometric, with a rigid fabric. There is very little embroidery. It’s very different from our normal work,” Pascal Coppin, head at one of Dior’s dress workshops, said. It’s a big change, and I like it very much. He said that it was cool, youthful, and optimistic. “We need those – the colors – to move away from the blacks and dark blues, to see prints almost Brazilian in style.”
The show was free from social distancing, and many spectators were open to the idea of letting go of their masks. The stage looked playful too with models moving around a large circular platform that was stepped like a game show. Chiuri said, “People use fashion as a way to express themselves and to play.” Fashion is ultimately a performance.
Watch full Dior SS22 fashion show below.
