ELLE.COM/UK Nove mbe r 2O19 145
We are surrounded by the
output of the house’s illustrious
pantheon of creative directors.
All men, including founder
Monsieur Dior himself, as well
as the titans who followed: Yves
Saint Laurent, John Galliano,
Raf Simons and more. In the
middle of the library, each era
is represented by a hardbound
book that sits on a pedestal.
But the industry has changed
considerably since the Dior
of those eras, when fashion
primarily ser ved as a conduit to
glamour and escapism – flights
of fancy in embroidered tulle with
a nipped waist. For one, many of
France’s most storied houses are
now led by women. In addition to
Chiuri – the first woman creative
director in Dior’s history – there is Virginie Viard at the helm of Chanel,
Clare Waight Keller at Givenchy and Natacha Ramsay- Levi at Chloé.
And fashion has evolved to a place where clothes are much more
wearable to accommodate a working woman’s multi-pronged life.
efore, Dior liked to define its woman. This is not my point
of view,’ Chiuri says. ‘Women define themselves as they
want. For me, dress[ing] is a way to be free, not to impose
a look on someone.’ So her boots and heels come in
walkable heights, for example. And her dresses, skirts and
trousers often come in shapes that free the legs up, rather than constrict.
‘When you arrive in a house that has such big traditions as Dior, the
risk is that you don’t want to move too much from these traditions. But
women are different now. So I know Mr Dior made a jacket that was very
fitted, with the toile inside. But now our style of life is different. We have
to make a jacket that maintains the line, this Dior line, but at the same time
is more wearable. And I think that probably made a difference, to have
an approach in which I recognise the history and appreciate it, but not
make the wardrobe as a piece in a museum,’ she says.
The other big change that has happened in Dior’s lifespan is the
meaning of fashion. Clothing now comes laden with cultural and political
subtext. It’s a shift that’s not lost on Chiuri. So she doubled down on the
feminism, celebrating the idea of the independent, free-thinking woman
from one season to the next. And much of the fashion industry followed
suit, with luxury and high-street brands alike using their campaigns to
make statements on everything from environmentalism to gun violence.
Activism, like sustainability and diversity, soon became a buzzword.
But Chiuri resisted any implications that the shift might be a trend. For her
Cruise 2O2O collection, she chose to celebrate the craftspersonship
present throughout the African diaspora at a time when populism
dominates global headlines.
Shown in Marrakech, the runway
featured a diverse cast of models
dressed in reinterpretations of
Dior signatures, such as its iconic
toile du jouy done in traditional
wax-print fabric. ‘It was really a
project about common ground.
Because in fashion, we don’t
speak about clothes. We speak
about identity, about gender,
cultural appropriation, about
environment. The audience that
looks at the fashion world is one
that is 2O -years-old and has a
completely different approach,’
she says. ‘When I was young,
there were not so many stores
with clothes, so I grew up with
this desire to have something
new. I remember my first visit to
a flea market for denim trousers
and military jackets. But fashion
now, for the young generation,
is completely different because
they were born in a world where
fashion is everywhere.’
Chiuri says the collection
was also about reorientating
the conversation around luxury to include Africa. ‘There is this idea that
everything that comes from Africa is not expensive – that fashion is more
amazing in Europe. But it is not true.’ To help her with this, she enlisted a
range of international artists and local artisans to contribute elements to
the collection, including Mickalene Thomas and British designer Grace
Wales Bonner, who both reimagined the house’s famous ‘New Look ’.
She also brought on board the Ivory Coast-based designer Pathé’O,
known for making Nelson Mandela’s shirts. And rather than shy away
from any accusations of cultural appropriation, Chiuri addressed the
subject head on in a video with Nigerian-American model Adesuwa
Aighewi. ‘I think things like this, you’re starting the conversation. You’re
bridging the gap,’ said Aighewi. And, unlike her debut in 2O16, Chiuri’s
message attracted no blowback. The Greek chorus seemed to approve.
The audience has evolved, after all, along with the clothes.
That’s the thing about fashion: like life, it moves on. With a smile and
a hug, Chiuri stands up and heads out into the heat, the sun on her back
and a light laugh on her lips. Summer awaits.B