Divine draping and athletic splendor come together for the Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024 collection as it honors the Olympic Games Paris 2024
There is an elegance of movement at the Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024 show where, in Paris, a torch is set to light up. Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri imagined goddesses in couture as an homage to all athletes who—from ancient to present times—have overcome prejudice to ensure a level playing field in sports contests. It is a prelude to the Paris Olympics 2024, but also offers a deeper perspective on Grecian sculpture and the political significance of the female body.
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With an expressive installation on the political freedom for women’s bodies by African-American artist Faith Ringgold, this season’s Dior was Olympian in the grandest sense. The international sports event originated from Greece, where mythology was also revered as an artistic and historical component. Dior underscores the codes of Ancient Greek Civilization by writing a mythical collection on bodies. It then translates into a line where sports, sculpture, and sartorial pieces as couture meet.
The show unveiled gowns draped in classical style, with asymmetrical necklines hinting at divine grace and skirts flowing in layers of luxurious silk. Draping takes an intricate practice, seen in dresses adorned with embroidery, sheer metallic tank tops edged in satin, and ensembles that show off skirts that also show off pants.
Next, an unexpected addition to couture is jersey, reinterpreted as a metallic mesh in gold, silver, and white that enhances the silhouette. A reference for sports attire comes in the form of bodysuits, decorated with gold leaves or tiny sequins providing an imaginative dimension. Speaking of dimension, red—dubbed as the “color of life” by Christian Dior—lifts the whole show engulfed in the sea of blue.
The Dior Haute Couture show is no sportswear or athleisure; it will cost more. Time and again proves that couture is for the body. It asserts its power on being experimental in its thoughts, and reflexive in its movements. While Maria Garcia Chiuri spotlights the Olympics, the collection stays true to the myth of Dior—honoring the elegance of a woman at once delicate and strong, always red in her virtuosity.
Photos and Featured Image: DIOR