April 16, 2025 |
In the dusky, blossom-dusted gardens of Kyoto’s Tō-ji Temple yesterday, Dior Fall 2025 unfolded as a meditation on cultural dialogue, form and fluidity. As twilight descended and lanterns blinked softly, Maria Grazia Chiuri presented a collection steeped in reverence – a sartorial study that traced the lineage of dress across time and continent.
Gliding down a pebbled walkway in a slow, deliberate promenade, the models emerged peppered with prints – cherry blossoms, Kindai Wafū Kenchiku-style architecture, twisting trees – that echoed the cadence of calligraphy brushed with Toyohashi ink. The collection bloomed like a watercolour painting: textural blacks and blossom pinks washed across sheer, weightless silks, while khaki and taupe tones grounded the palette in earthy calm. At its core, the show questioned what it is that shapes the garments of cultures – and celebrated the kimono not just as inspiration, but as architecture. Chiuri pulled from the work of Monsieur Dior, who, for AW57, had already envisioned outerwear to frame and respect the kimono’s form. That spirit re-emerged in enveloping jackets and coats, some belted at the waist, their silhouettes softened by sketches of Japanese gardens.
The Japanese influence deepened as the show progressed: asymmetric judo-style trousers with tie-like closures, Hanten-like coats and traditional Hakama silhouettes rendered in lush, modern textures. Wide trousers and sweeping skirts undulated with each step, metamorphic and graceful. Military-coded bombers and bunched-up cargo trousers offered moments of sharp punctuation, while sunflowers, velvet blues and slashed trenches shimmered with quiet drama.
The final look – a gradient ink mesh gown scattered with floral sequins – drifted past like a breath caught in a breeze, at once fleeting and unforgettable. With Kyoto as its muse, Dior Fall 2025 offered more than fashion: it was a moving dialogue between bodies, garments and the traditions that shape them.
Photography courtesy of Dior.
