IT was a Renaissance fair fit for a faery nymph, albeit a well-dressed one, at Christian Dior’s Couture Spring/Summer 2017 show earlier this week in Paris. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first couture Dior collection was dreamy yet practical, paying homage to the brand’s New Look tradition while treading new ground with innovative tailoring and a play on masculine/feminine.
The show, held in the gardens of the Musée Rodin, was styled as a garden maze, only an overgrown one with leaves, moss, and touches of pagan fantasy throughout. The collection was couture au naturel with a sequence of pieces that ran the gamut from pixie princess to rock queen in the best possible way.
Barely-there ballgowns with boots and kitten heels that hinted at the Dior New Look structure, only in a fairy swirl of skirts, peplums, and oversized draped sleeves. Tuxedo culottes took the place of the traditional New Look ballerina skirt. The models were fairy nymphs in delicate but playful headpieces from well-known British milliner Stephen Jones.
All in all, Chiuri’s first Dior couture collection was divine and divinely wearable, presenting an exciting next chapter for the brand.
by Jessica Quillin
All images courtesy of Dior