On Tuesday, Christian Dior showcased its spring/summer 2018 haute couture collection in Paris, set somewhere between dream and reality. Artistic Director Maria Grazia Chiuri immersed herself in the surrealist movement and brought the collection to life with a breath of imagination and other-worldliness. The collection’s play on pattern, texture, and form created constant optical illusions, complimented by a grand monochromatic room featuring a mirrored ceiling, checkered floor and hanging sculptures. Backstage, hauntingly captive eye makeup demanded attention, with more refined details such as tattoos of text scattered across arms and collarbones reflecting the essence of the house’s presentation. The show was a step into surrealism, embracing the overstated and the unreality.
That night in Paris, Dior hosted the “Grand Bal Surréaliste,” transforming the gardens of the Musée Rodin into a set that captured the essence of the house’s most recent haute couture show. The night celebrated all of Dior’s great passions, with references to surrealism, whimsical worlds, and a play on imagination. A life-size chessboard greeted industry insiders including Winnie Harlow, Alexa Chung, Chiara Ferragni, and Willow Smith (who later performed at the ball). Guests were adorned with delicate masks and wore Dior dresses that so eloquently complimented the night’s theme of whimsicality. This extravagant masked ball celebrated the surrealist spirit, and the spirit of Dior.
Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2018, courtesy of Nhu Xuan Hua
