Since Raf Simons left Dior last year, the famous French label has been missing a creative director for the past few seasons. Thankfully this spring/summer 2017 marks an exciting new era as Maria Grazia Chiuri takes the reigns as the first female artistic director in Dior’s 70-year history.
Consequently today’s runway was unsurprisingly pulsating with raw, unadulterated femininity. A particular highlight was when one of the many slender French delphiniums strutted down the runway sporting a T-shirt reading, “We should all be feminists”. Worn with a stunning midnight blue tulle skirt and casual sneakers, it was a standout smile-from-ear-to-ear moment.
To make things even better, Beyoncé’s hit song ‘Flawless’ featuring a famous TED talk about feminism by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – who was in the crowd – was the soundtrack.
Images Courtesy of Dior^
Make-up and hair was minimal, fresh, and modest; the latter neatly slicked back into a sleek high bun. Romantic, sheer dresses were worn with flat sneakers or powerful thigh-high lace-up boots, while masculine fencing-inspired suits complete with silver buckles boasted beautiful pillar-box red heart embroideries. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s mastery was truly at work in the male-meets-female tailoring.
Ensembles were powerful and courageous, yet remained oh-so ladylike. Rose-tinted transparent skirts and candyfloss hues sashayed down the catwalk with determination. A duchesse pink plunging v-neck gown with undulating silk pleats could have been something from Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Worn with ballerina slippers, there was an irresolutely Swan Lake-inspired feel to the piece. Suspicions were only heightened when an almost identical seductive midnight-black alternative appeared, worn with dramatic pointed-toe stilettos. It seems Maria Grazia Chiuri feels we should embrace the black swan that lurks in us all.
