Dior’s men’s show was a bold statement by Jones, highlighting the fluidity and interconnectedness of gender in fashion. His fifth-anniversary collection tackled society’s shifting perceptions of manhood head-on but also served to push the boundaries, even as he mirrored them.
The historic courtyards of the Ecole Militaire served as the grand stage for Dior’s men’s show on Friday, a spectacle that played out under the watchful eye of the Eiffel Tower.
The event marked a milestone for British designer Kim Jones, celebrating his fifth year at the helm of Dior menswear. The collection displayed was decidedly bold, marrying traditionally feminine elements of Dior’s past with a modern men’s aesthetic, effectively capturing the gender-fluid ethos of Generation Z.
There were collection that showcased an intricate blend of masculine and feminine, transmuting the high-end tailoring traditions of British menswear with haute couture fabrications, harking back to Dior’s womenswear roots.
Jones’s collection also paid homage to his predecessors, with a “collage of influences” visible in the textural techniques and silhouettes. Drawing from Yves Saint Laurent to Gianfranco Ferré, Marc Bohan to Monsieur Dior himself, Jones created a mix of pop iconography and tradition, transforming the house’s iconic flower women designs into “hommes fleurs” or “flower men.”On Friday’s runway, punk aesthetics took center stage, marking a celebration of fashion deconstruction — and reconstruction. Distinct elements from disparate garments were meticulously cut up and restitched, yielding an audacious patchwork that pushed the envelope.
