April 16, 2024 |
Despite staging shows in far flung destinations from Mumbai to Mexico City, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Dior never held one in New York City. That changed last night, when the house brought its Fall 2024 collection to life at the Brooklyn Museum. The location may sound familiar — Dior was also the principal sponsor of a massive exhibition, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, in 2021. And for Chiuri, the space also holds a fond place in her heart given that it has a dedicated department for feminist art, a topic that plays prominently in Dior shows.
New York also has other ties to the house. Most famously, the city was home to Monsieur Dior’s atelier in 1948. Christian Dior New York was a line that allowed clients to buy pieces without being couture clients, setting the stage for a full ready-to-wear line. Chiuri also has fond memories of the city, telling Vogue that she first came to the Big Apple at 18 and found the sights and sounds mesmerising.
It’s fitting, then, that the collection featured plenty of black-and-white looks. What else would a New Yorker want to wear? Chiuri drew inspiration from Marlene Dietrich, who was close friends with Monsieur Dior and famously had him dress her for all of her movies. Dietrich’s signature waves were reimagined on the models while her love of mannish trousers, crisp white shirting, and glittering dresses played out on the runway. The most direct reference was a tuxedo, complete with a top hat — albeit this version came with short shorts.
And while the bulk of these pieces have been seen before as the images came out in December 2023, a batch of new designs were created especially for the show. Pieces referenced the New York City skyline with the black-and-white print featuring prominently on everything from dresses to trenches to the brand’s now signature Book tote. Also referenced was Marc Bohan and Alexandre Sache’s 1976 Bicentennial American flag print. Adorning the back of a jacket as well on a slouchy sweatshirt, it highlighted sportswear at its best. And for fans of John Galliano’s era at Dior, the newspaper print made a comeback on a Saddle bag. Updated to read New York-Paris, it instantly brought to mind Carrie Bradshaw and Sex and the City.
Speaking of celebrities, the brand pulled out all the stops for the show. Longtime brand ambassador Charlize Theron joined Anya Taylor-Joy, Naomi Watts, Michelle Williams, and Rosamund Pike on the front row. Also causing a stir was the arrival of New Jeans’ Haerin — reinforcing the power that K-pop idols now wield in the fashion world. To end the night? What else but a performance by Kim Gordon, the perfect Dior New York cool girl.
Photography by Wojcie Christopher Nowak.
