Maria Grazia Chiuri delivers us to the meditative space of the handmade for the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 collection.
The collection is serene. Once Twice Melody by Beach House wafts through the show space in the garden of the Musée Rodin. Larger-than-life elaborate tapestries cloak the surrounding walls. The tapestries themselves took 380 artisans from Chanakya, the school of crafts in India, and more than 280,000 hours to embroider — the concept created by the artists Madhvi and Manu Parekh. It is a fitting atmosphere for Haute Couture Week in Paris, where the emphasis is on craftsmanship and the handmade.
We are loath to weave the pandemic into the world of fashion yet again, it has chewed up so much energy and time over the past two years, but the collection takes us back to those early months. A time of confusion and chaos, where the only way to cut through the noise and blanket ourselves in calm was to feed our most basic instinct: the need to create with our hands.
And while the delicate bodices and lamé muslin gowns are the main event, it seems as though Maria Grazia Chiuri wants us to retrace her steps and return to the meditative space of creation. Where all that existed of each piece were many hands working in unison to embroider her vision into the being.
Speaking to Vogue, the Christian Dior creative director said, "During Christmas, I was honestly a little bit depressed because I thought we were done with COVID, and then I saw the numbers going up again. So, probably, I need to feel calm."
Calm was attracted through the individual beading of tights. Through precisely hand-sewing suiting where the long clean lines and deceptive simplicity offer nowhere to hide. By fashioning cashmere into cap-sleeved dresses and skirt suits. The collections measured elegance and quiet femininity is a testament to the clarity found in this creative space.
One-shouldered velvet playsuits are paired with bejewelled tights and pointed Mary Janes. Sheer tulle gowns and pearlescent silks cling to the waist and float to the floor. A neutral colour palette arriving in black, grey, snow white is elevated through lustrous finishes and shimmering details, making the models look elven and capturing the eyes of any bride-to-be.
Beauty is kept simple save for thick white eyeliner to brighten the eyes and freshen the models faces. The Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 collection is a beacon of calm, reverence, it's completely lucid at a time when we need it most.
You can explore more behind the scenography and the 22 artworks which covered the walls surround the Christian Dior Haute Couture show, below.
Revisit our exclusive livestream of the Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring Summer 2022 collection below, which commenced on January 25, at 12:45am (AEDT).
