This week in Paris, Dior welcomed guests to the Tuileries Garden for its Fall/Winter 2022 women’s presentation. Designed by the house’s longtime collaborator, Bureau Betak, in collaboration with the Italian artist Marialla Bettineschi, the stunning scenography was entitled “The Next Era,” blending rich history with a vision for the future, accompanied by music from Michel Gaubert.
For “The Next Era,” Bettineschi created a gallery of large-scale 16th and 19th century portraits of women from art history. Each black-and0white image featured females with two sets of eyes, one pair stacked atop the other, to represent the judgment that women have faced and continue to battle. By reversing this gaze, and visually questioning how women are seeing double, the works present a new chapter in art history.
Courtesy of Dior.
This artistic framework paved the path for Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri to present her new garments within, revealing a number of classic pieces with future-forward twists. For this, Dior tapped D-Air lab—a seven-year-old Italian start-up company founded by Lino Dainese—and worked with the company’s architect Silvia Dainese Gris for a special project within the collection.
Courtesy of Dior.
We saw Dior’s iconic Bar jacket re-imagined in structure and technological innovation, regulating the body’s temperature and warming it up, or cooling it down, if necessary. Next, a criss-cross bodysuit with luminescent colors was seen, maintaining temperature control for the wearer.
Courtesy of Dior.
Fall/Winter 2022 included reimagined version of the iconic Roger Vivier for Dior pump, now created with the use of technical fabric. Other items, like belts and corsets, transformed everyday essentials with a futuristic and versatile edge.
Courtesy of Dior.
Chirui’s recognizable touch was present in a selection of skirts and dresses, yet seen through a new lens. Pleated skirts, like the Grisaille, were reinvented with the use of fabrics from the men’s wardrobe; technical knitwear featured embroidery on waterproof materials; and gloves, Moto jackets, and bright stockings reminiscent of biker accessories were paired with gowns for an elevated approach. Building upon Chiuri’s respectful yet rebellious spirit, she borrowed a print from a backdrop of a portrait of Christian Dior for a new print, seen on a large coat with couture gloves.
Courtesy of Dior.
