Dior: the classic way!

What is a fashion show but a vivacious burst of energy, a chance for designers to experiment, create magic, set trends and, above all, make inroads into retail? Did the recent Christian Dior Fall 2023 Couture fit the bill on all these counts? Yes!Maria Grazia Chiuri did what she does best — cutting and molding ball gowns like it’s nobody’s business, dabbling with the ease of a pro into draped long gowns, voluminous hems, pleats and backless numbers criss-crossed with embroidery. It was a fairytale just like every season but a notch higher as it incorporated the cultural heritage with sculptural drapes — with models serenely poised on the runway.There was substance, but there was movement. The contrast of lightness and weight was at the very core of the collection featuring dresses with vertical pleats, dryad dresses, gilded lace and lots of lattice work embroideries and the finishing of pearl beadsThe coat/cape hybrid that yielded a result as spectacular as a swingy beige crystal organza with sleeves of lustrous sable was breathtakingly beautiful. It was the construction of the silhouette that caterwauled — ‘so very classic!’.Chiuri’s take on the heritage of Dior suit was also like a breath of fresh air — she used separates and paired jackets over matching long skirts and dresses — revamping the idea of formality with ageless, modern chic.The weight of her outerwear was balanced by ethereal dresses composed of white, beige, silver and pale gold with rippling pleats. There was a reclusive purity in beige chiffon and triple organza dresses, and coats clutched demurely. But then there was an abstract chain mail layered over that purity, and the deep slits in coats and dresses translated into a deeply feminine appeal.Chiuri she doesn’t need to create dramatic silhouettes for her clothes to get attention. Her clothes step off the catwalk, directly on to the retail rack without any translation.The drama is very much within the design itself!The collection was so cohesive and inclusive that any woman in any part of the world can find something here and that can be accredited to Chiuri who has travelled across the continents to quite really understand a Dior woman. Her line-up created veritable heirlooms for the unabashedly bold, vivacious woman. It was sheer glamour with easy-breezy monochromatic contradictions. What it skipped was a sense of grandeur or build-up. There was no ball gown finale to answer the hanging question as to what Natalie Portman might wear to the next Academy Awards—though that’s usually arranged as a bespoke off-runway matter anyway.Chiuru’s been known for her radical arty streaks and it was as much fun seeing her toe minimalistic lines. Her strong eye for fashion brought in the accolades.