Kris Van Assche is, at heart, a club kid. That’s often the inspiration behind his Dior Homme collections, and it always creates a certain distinct design tension – combining a spirit of rebellion with the savoir-faire of a French haute couture house. It’s an interesting mix, and as well all know (and Paula Abdul sang) opposites attract. This time, the slogan was “HARDIOR” which it was easy to imagine printed across a t-shirt sported at an all-night Gabber rave in deepest darkest Rotterdam, although here but was painstakingly embroidered across hats and on bags. There were giant puffer-style coats but in powdery fur in brilliant turquoise and orange, and a photograph of writhing, clubbing bodies was memorably jacquardinto a natty suit, as well as a sweeping opera cape. Those touches of establishment chic – elegance, even – were what lifted this nightclub-inspired collection out of the wee small hours and into the salon d’honneur of the Grand Palais. The melding of club and couture came through in sleek suits with sleeves ripped off, teamed with sneakers or ginormous iridescent sunglasses. There was even an intarsia sweater bearing a portrait of Dior himself above the cut-and-paste slogan “They should just let us rave.” This collection was a rave to watch, and it felt like Kris Van Assche was having one as he designed it.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
