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Christian Dior

Today’s Christian Dior setting was an indoor building site tucked within an iconic museum in Paris. Inside the venue (which was filled with white scaffolding): a plush, bubblegum pink carpet and mirrors hanging from the ceiling reflecting the metal web from every which way. The setting was part chaotic and part romantic. See what Simons was getting at?

Building new traditions from within; avoiding too much nostalgia; creating a new aesthetic for the brand without disrupting it; and finding a signature that encompasses a storied house and the designer’s own—this is the challenge that Simons, one of the more prescient designers of our time, undertook when joining Christian Dior in 2012.

It’s always spellbinding to witness something that is about to be. In the Middle East, towers grow under our eyes, daily. Guts out, material upon material thrown together, melted, juxtaposed: a chaos that eventually ends up looking pristine. This is what today’s show was about.

Plastic met sequins, guipure, and wool. Metal rings pieced together silks; psychedelic patterns met delicate flower embellishments; and thigh-high, latex boots were paired with embellished baby doll dresses for a dissonant and jubilant symphony. After a successful Pre-Fall collection shown in Tokyo, Simons continued to explore his futuristic inclinations, yet this time, for the first time, he looked back at the ‘60s and ‘70s. Much like ours, these were eras that were brewing with the spirit of change.

Mod impregnated the silhouettes, while the revolutionary attitude of the ‘70s—enhanced by David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” soundtrack (1971)—gave life to psychedelic, fully-sequined jumpsuits that looked like they came straight from Bowie’s Aladdin Sane tour (1973). Of course, not everyone will buy into the psychedelic looks or fully-printed body suits with corresponding mini skirt—especially the Middle Eastern clientele. Nevertheless, this collection was so rich, so uncompromising on beautifully-executed embroideries and volumes that it should please its fair share of Dior aficionadas, clients, and red carpet divas alike.

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