January 1, 2015 |
Isn’t Urbandictionary.com a wonderful thing? Who knew words had so many meanings? Take stripes, for example. There were a lot of stripes at Dior Homme. Very stripy. And blue. Which you could interpret, if you wanted, as nautical, as stripes and blue usually hint at some sort of marine-based theme. And there was a bright yellow cagoule, too. Or you could simply go on Urbandictionary.com and discover the other meanings of stripes. For it turns out that they are not simply long narrow bands that differ in colour or texture from the surface on which they are placed. Stripes are far more exciting. They are a symbol of acceptance in an organised criminal organisation. They are also another name for the teardrop that people get tattooed under their eye when they’ve killed someone. Which is something you really should get if you are in a gang, say, the Crips, which is actually quite appropriate here, as blue is their colour, and some have actually killed someone. Stripe also means to cut someone with a blade, often a Stanley knife or cut-throat razor, leaving stripes on their body or face. It can also refer to a line of cocaine, or to twat, to lash, to chin, to glass, top deck, all of which require more time on Urbandictionary.com to decipher their meanings. It’s probably safe to say that the stripes at Dior Homme are the more traditional kind. Kris Van Assche was not inspired by violent, gang-related activities, and it has to be said, that if the Crips ever wanted to project a more polished and elegant image, rebrand themselves as something other than a violent street gang, then they really should turn to Dior Homme, as it was all polished and elegant blue. There was a red jacket, too, but that would be more a Bloods thing. No Crip who cherishes his life would ever wear red. Anyway, Van Assche was inspired by a letter, written by Christian Dior, which he found in the archives. “Traditions have to be maintained. In troubled times like ours we must maintain these traditions, which are our luxury and the flower of our civilization.” Words that were actually printed over shirts and suits, in blue of course, in Monsieur Dior’s own handwriting. In stripes. Stripes of words. Layered under more traditional stripes too. The traditional part also came in the clothes, because, well, it is menswear, so most of the time it’s pretty traditional. And really what more do you want from your clothes than a sleek suit, a well-cut coat or a nice knit. And it’s all about the details anyway. Take the first three suits that came out. One double-breasted, two single buttons placed in a horizontal line, the next single-breasted and the third fastened with a toggle. All blue, and striped, all pretty traditional yet not.
By Natalie Dembinska
