Last Friday in Paris, Dior debuted its men’s collection for Spring/Summer 2020 in a monumental monochromatic show space designed by artist Daniel Arsham. For the season, menswear artistic director Kim Jones focused on the ideas of the past and future and constant evolution—both in fashion and our lives.
The procession of looks progressed through a range of gray, white, pink, and tan, including accent hues like brilliant blue and orange. Styles upheld the house’s codes and excellent tailoring, dating back to another era, while incorporating more modern heritage and history. The Toile de Juoy and iconic Galliano newspaper prints reappeared on looks like shirts, shorts, and bags.
Arsham paid tribute to the house’s legacy in his own way, presenting an ongoing study of the archaeology of the present. Before entering the spacious tent, guests first passed through a room inspired by Christian Dior’s office. There a desk, chairs, plants, and lamp were rendered in white, as though each detail had been calcified and untouched for years. Part of Arsham’s “Future Relics “series, the display included casts of Mr. Dior’s clock and telephone, in a slightly decayed state.
The monochrome concept continued, engulfing the runway set in millennial pink. Stadium benches in ombre shades flanked the rectangular sand-filled runway, alluding to the erosion of time. Four massive sculptural letters were planted in the sand, spelling out “Dior,” in deteriorating stone that crumbled away to reveal shards of purple crystal underneath.
