Our fellow internet users frequently questioned the way certain animals would dress. Some of us have taken this question very seriously and transcended beyond the real world, wondering how some mythological beings, such as the centaur, would wear clothes. Surprisingly, there is an answer to that as well. Deciphering this age-old question is like solving the “Chicken-or-Egg” puzzle. Now, back to our original question, it is safe to say that some of them would let Dior be their personal stylist.
The house of Christian Dior has revealed its Fall/Winter 2020-2021 haute couture collection, paying homage to Théâtre de la Mode, a 1945 traveling fashion exhibition that was created to support WWII victims. What makes this collection a one-of-a-kind is that it fits classical Greek and Roman mythical creatures, such as mermaids, naiads, or dryads, and comes in teeny-tiny proportions. Designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, this collection inspired by Dior’s iconic New Look silhouette with traditional Greek accents proves that, indeed, “strong essences are kept in small bottles.”
While sticking to the rules of the house, each piece is made entirely by hand, only 40% smaller than the original size. For this collection, Chiuri cited creatives such as Lee Miller, Dorothea Tanning, or Dora Maar. Plus, the designer married her talent with the beauty offered by nature and the extraordinary things that come with fantasy.
Her greatest inspiration was the woman, which she regards as a muse and an artist. “Surrealist images manage to make visible what is in itself invisible. I’m interested in mystery and magic, which are also a way of exorcising uncertainty about the future,” says Maria Grazia Chiuri in a press release.
These magical motifs she refers to can be admired through the campaign’s video titled “Le Mythe Dior,” imagined by Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone. The film’s action takes place in a fairytale-like world that hosts our mythical models. Their normal activities are interrupted by two men carrying a box, inside which is the latest Dior collection. There’s a special outfit for each of the unearthly beings who look like rediscovering their inner self once they find the power of this season’s haute couture creations.
Contacted by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the director who is known for Il Racconto dei racconti (Tale of Tales, 2015), Dogman (2018), and Pinocchio (2019), agreed to lend some of his ideas to Dior: “My films are imbued with the carnal, the erotic, desire, and light,” he says. As fashion is strongly intertwined with the body, the collaboration unfolded naturally.
“The concept of the film, as a work of art and an artistic medium, has always captivated me; I have often thought of experimenting with it in order to reproduce the unique atmosphere of haute couture. Cinema is an art that is both creative and artisanal, a work of authorship and a chorale. It’s very similar to fashion’s savoir-faire,” continues the designer.
The video experience does not narrate a story. It simply evokes the other-worldly motifs, strongly embroidered in this season’s haute couture collection. Ah, doesn’t this make you say “J’adore Dior!”?
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