In a setting designed as a creative dialog between Creative Director Maria-Grazia Chiuri and African-American artist Mickalene Thomas, Dior’s Couture Spring-Summer 2023 collection was unveiled in an atmosphere filled with femininity and power. Conceived as a body-home rather than just garments, the creations found inspiration in African-American singer and dancer Josephine Baker who embodied the modernity of the mid 1920s, the transgression of stereotypes, and the mixing of cultures and shared experiences.
A series of coats resembling bathrobes evoked the cozy, intimate dressing room that precedes her entrance on stage. These light velvet or quilted pieces opened onto light satin underwear in powdered hues and black that modernly revisited the 1950s classics. Along with the skin-caressing silk and velvet, the collection stood out by its delicate embroidery, while tiny silver studs and sequins absorbed the space’s light and reflected it onto the audience. The choreography of the models’ body movement was marked by the silver and gold fringes in the most feminine of ways, while suits and coats spoke a masculine language through their fabric as their above-the-ankle length revealed heeled shoes with imposing soles.
Was it a celebration of black and mixed-race women who turned into powerful figures by daring to go against the grain? Indeed, it was and in the most fashionable of ways!
