Photo: Courtesy of Dior
There is much to be romanticized from peace stories: princesses locked high in towers waiting to be rescued, princes on white horses racing across the country with a glass slipper, frogs waiting to kiss so they can turn into royals. But there is also a dark side – a man with wolves dressed as grandmothers, animals tearing through castles, women cursing, locking and hiding away. This is the last feeling Maria Grazia Chiuri took in for the Dior’s Fall 2021 collection, capturing those fantasies and turning them on their head.
A video by Fabien Baron burned at the Palace of Versailles called “Disturbing Beauty” (I prefer the misleading French translation, “Deranged Beauty,” although I know it’s not technically correct) sets the baby, with women stalking over a woodland and sticking through the famous Hall of Mirrors.
It can be hard to tell a fairy tale without following a clue, but Chiuri pulls it off by focusing on the toughest aspects of the heroines who pick up those stories, drawing from toy solider costumes, “Little Red Riding Hood” by Angela Carter and “Beauty” Jean Cocteau and the Beast. “The collection is heavy on the black and white pieces – a big move for Fall 2021 – with pictures of red on coats and in a rose motif, an essential nod to Mr Christian Dior ‘s own. Combined with strong shapes (pointed coats, cropped shirt, ready – to – wear pinafores), he keeps the tightest aspects of a princess’ dress at bay. all in all, buyers with deep pockets can try the Spring 2021 couture collection for that.
Rough quality around the edges to the bare soles, the lace up boots and the laser cut leather are visible all over the line. If you’re into a more ladylike baby, Dior has you covered there too, with full-knife pleated skirts and scarves tied over the hair. Buyers will no doubt appreciate the softer pieces, like a leopard print bomber jacket with fleece pockets. And like Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino’s former producer, Chiuri clearly feels like pulling miniskirts again.
With this being Dior, evening wear is part of the mix as well. Standouts include a full-sleeved gown imitating the floor of a checker table, with roses falling down the skirt, and a red tulle gown with a heart-shaped cut body. A fairy princess may not need to save Dior, but that doesn’t mean she’s not yet romantic.
See the full Dior Fall 2021 collection in the gallery below:
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