Haute Couture FW18: Dior

Lindsay Judge   |   02-07-2018

Maria Grazia Chiuri celebrates the technicalities and design elements of Haute Couture for her Fall/Winter 18 collection. Letting the fabrics do the work she presented a combination of simple structured silhouettes and feminine detailed designs.

The elegant setting of the show at The Musée Rodin in Paris, was designed in line with the House’s Designer of Dreams exhibition which was held in Paris last year. The show space was a blank white art canvas, giving space for the couture designs to hold their own. 294 white simplistic mannequins designed by the House featuring toiles for real pieces from the collection were displayed on the wall, suggestive of the elements a Haute Couture piece goes through in its design process

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As explained by the House “Haute Couture offers the opportunity to wear quality that is unique, to adapt a perfect work to one’s own body.” And Maria Grazia Chiuri did just that presenting designs that were simplistic in their appearance but complex in their fit and composition ensuring they seamlessly hung on the body. Pleats, elegant draping and origami-style folding added texture and life to garments, with pleats creating an optical illusion. The detail and work that went into each of these pieces is clear to see.

 

Evening dresses were strapless or featured plunging necklines. Gowns were presented in totally new fabrics and either streamlined or decorated with layers of lace and embroidery, so technical in its design with a perfect attention to detail.

Maria Grazia Chiuri also redesigned the iconic Bar jacket for this collection. Keeping the fundamentals of this iconic design, which was first discovered by Christian Dior himself, but putting her own twist on the arrangement of this piece. Maria brings this Haute Couture piece up to date with the addition of batwing sleeves and metallic fabrics paired with cigarette trousers or modest ankle length skirts

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Accessories came in the form of pointed kitten heel shoes, berets and thin waist belts – creating and elegant nineteen forties silhouette – a decade that is very close to the House’s heart.

 

Despite their feminine approach some looks felt distinctly masculine, a nod perhaps to Maria Grazia Chiuri’s outspoken feminist views. All in all this was an understated elegant collection, combining original elements to create something unique and reflective for Grazia Chiuri’s style, but still true to the brands DNA.

 

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