FASHION

CHRISTIAN DIOR HAUTE COUTURE SPRING-SUMMER 2016 PARIS

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PORTFOLIO: CHRISTIAN DIOR HAUTE COUTURE SS16

Paris. Dior Haute Couture SS16. You would have thought that times would be tough for Dior in the wake of Raf Simon’s departure, leaving the Parisian ateliers momentarily without a creative director. Such a surprise move could have shaken up even a Haute Couture and Ready-to-Wear pillar like Dior badly. But, fortunately, it was not the case today as the first Haute Couture collection without Simons was unveiled to a privileged audience. Though it was clear Simons’ influence was here (the rather minimalistic approach, the purity of the shapes), this collection was purely Dior and, to our extreme delight, showed a great sense of modernity. Here and there, we recognize the symbols of Dior: the lily of the valley transforms into three-dimensional embroideries onto a white peplum jacket, the iconic Bar Suit is reinterpreted into a coat-dress with plunging neckline. Femininity is key, as well as modernity: the « femme-fleur » takes a step further towards her independence, playing easily with classic shapes and sheer pieces. A new take on transparency, body-revealing shapes that make a statement about couture: it is not always about perfectly put-together gowns. In fact, some intricate lace work on a few of the pieces (like a sheer, marine blue minidress) proved to be as creative as impressive. After 2015’s hurdles, 2016 is off to a great start for Dior.

Photography: Frank Perrin