Paris Fashion Week: At Dior, a royal court press
In the center of the oldest courtyard in the Louvre Palace, Raf Simons gave us a moment of brilliance Friday afternoon at Paris Fashion Week, a high-speed remix of 18th century royal court attire that was modern, creative and incredibly cool.
Marion Cottilard, Dakota Fanning, Olivia Palermo, Coco Rocha and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy came out for the blockbuster Dior show, held inside a tent with a mirrored facade reflecting the palace in its gaze. What was in store inside was a hall of mirrors, all right.
The look: If skateboarders and surfers stormed the palace. But practical, not theatrical. Historical design thoughtfully adapted for today.
Key pieces: Streamlined court jackets and redingotes in jewel tone silk or leather, with delicate embroidery on pockets and sleeves, worn over silk board shorts. Robes a la francaise with delicate floral textile designs, traveling through time to become silk taffeta bomber jackets and flight suits. Knitwear with motifs from corsets and panniers incorporated into the weave. Sleek, form-fitting dresses with lace cravat-like insets at the neck. Frilly, white shirt dresses with traditional-looking smocking and needlework, paired with hand-knitted knee high boots.
The verdict: Guaranteed to be influential on the runways and the street. What’s fascinating about Simons’ collections is that they always seem to be a work in progress. More than almost anyone else, he has an ability to contemporize fashion from the bones up, and create a new look that changes the way the world dresses, even if it takes a few seasons.
As I have said before, the sport fashion trend may have just come into focus with the craze for sneakers on the runway and the street. But it was Simons who started pushing sport and fashion together in its current incarnation back in 2011 while he was still at Jil Sander, by showing couture-inspired ball skirts with T-shirts and anoraks. He’s in the laboratory again, as evidenced by this strong collection, which brings historical romanticism back into the fashion discussion for the first time in a long time. That dressed-up jacket over board shorts look? Look out, because just like haute sneakers, it’s coming.
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