Christian Dior Haute Couture F/W 2022.23 Paris

[Cocteau Stone]

YSL did great things but if we look at the work of his contemporaries he wasn’t as daring as it is often said. The legend was build and heavily fed by Pierre Bergé. The work of someone like Emmanuel Ungaro was very much more daring than Yves…

It's funny because looking at YSL's work now, the only thing that really made his work shocking or daring were through photographers and image makers. Turbeville, Bourdin and of course Newton really fed into this provocative idea of YSL alongside the responses many had towards his Dior collections. Strip that away and the work doesn't really say as much, just reads as such because of how prim and proper the brand's clientele was and kind of still is. Even reading about his behaviour towards Ford when he was at the helm of ready to wear at YSL and I can't help but laugh at how brattish and entitled he acted. A clear case of ivory tower syndrome and being coddled too much by the industry. Also how very French of him to behave this way whilst still being a fashion darling.

Now looking back at this collection it really isn't that bad, I'm just saddened that the artisans' work wasn't elevated by better design. I look at this and I don't want to look deeper because it is rather emotionless. However, I came across a close up detail on Instagram the other day of one of the looks either from this or a recent-ish couture collection and I was like "wow this is beautiful I need to see the full silhouette", swiped over and I was immediately deflated. Present me just the details and I am fine, show the full silhouette of the clothes itself and I turn away.

Maria isn't able to breathe life into the clothes, which is something I see in Pierpaolo's Valentino as well. Still favour this over Kim Jones' menswear though.

 

[Lola701]

It's funny because looking at YSL's work now, the only thing that really made his work shocking or daring were through photographers and image makers. Turbeville, Bourdin and of course Newton really fed into this provocative idea of YSL alongside the responses many had towards his Dior collections. Strip that away and the work doesn't really say as much, just reads as such because of how prim and proper the brand's clientele was and kind of still is. Even reading about his behaviour towards Ford when he was at the helm of ready to wear at YSL and I can't help but laugh at how brattish and entitled he acted. A clear case of ivory tower syndrome and being coddled too much by the industry. Also how very French of him to behave this way whilst still being a fashion darling.

Now looking back at this collection it really isn't that bad, I'm just saddened that the artisans' work wasn't elevated by better design. I look at this and I don't want to look deeper because it is rather emotionless. However, I came across a close up detail on Instagram the other day of one of the looks either from this or a recent-ish couture collection and I was like "wow this is beautiful I need to see the full silhouette", swiped over and I was immediately deflated. Present me just the details and I am fine, show the full silhouette of the clothes itself and I turn away.

Maria isn't able to breathe life into the clothes, which is something I see in Pierpaolo's Valentino as well. Still favour this over Kim Jones' menswear though.

In the story of YSL maybe not enough is made of Pierre Berge who created the legend of Saint Laurent. Don’t get me wrong, Yves was genius in his own right but Pierre was maybe more of a genius in marketing and story-telling. It’s interesting to note that when YSL started to decline, he began an institutionalization (is that a word?) of YSL and created a narrative that he did installed in the 70’s. We believe Yves created RTW because Pierre told us so for example.

I remember there was a reportage with Pierre Cardin where the interviewer mentioned the fact that Cardin has never really seen it for YSL. And he said that unlike the masters of Couture, YSL never invented any clothes unlike Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga or Vionnet. The interviewer said yes: the caban, the pants, le smoking…And for Cardin to answer that women didn’t wait for Saint Laurent to wear men clothes…

But I think despite loving what he did in the 69’s to the mid 70’s, for me he really brought a certain idea of sensuality in womenswear. When we think about the war between him and Karl, I’ve always though that Yves’s women were very sensual, provocative but quite conventional (that explain why he has dressed bourgeoises all his life) while Karl’s women were always more playful, frivolous. Karl doesn’t do seduction…Even his sexiest collections at Chanel had an element of playfulness. The same for his Chloe.

But the war with Ford was an ego thing. They were in their ivory tower but I’ve always felt that the war was more between Pierre Berge and Tom than Yves. Yves barely spoke but Bergé was very vocal, agressive in the press and behind the scenes.

But back to Maria, I think now more than ever, we understand why they made such a good pair with Pierpaolo. Maria is very pragmatic in a Frida Giannini way and Pierpaolo has rêves of grandeur but it’s very surface level. I think the pair would have done a fantastic job at Dior. Because let’s be honest, they transformed Valentino through very serious clothes for both men and women. It was repetitive but the machine was well oiled.

 

[LadyJunon]

In the story of YSL maybe not enough is made of Pierre Berge who created the legend of Saint Laurent. Don’t get me wrong, Yves was genius in his own right but Pierre was maybe more of a genius in marketing and story-telling. It’s interesting to note that when YSL started to decline, he began an institutionalization (is that a word?) of YSL and created a narrative that he did installed in the 70’s. We believe Yves created RTW because Pierre told us so for example.

I remember there was a reportage with Pierre Cardin where the interviewer mentioned the fact that Cardin has never really seen it for YSL. And he said that unlike the masters of Couture, YSL never invented any clothes unlike Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga or Vionnet. The interviewer said yes: the caban, the pants, le smoking…And for Cardin to answer that women didn’t wait for Saint Laurent to wear men clothes…

But I think despite loving what he did in the 69’s to the mid 70’s, for me he really brought a certain idea of sensuality in womenswear. When we think about the war between him and Karl, I’ve always though that Yves’s women were very sensual, provocative but quite conventional (that explain why he has dressed bourgeoises all his life) while Karl’s women were always more playful, frivolous. Karl doesn’t do seduction…Even his sexiest collections at Chanel had an element of playfulness. The same for his Chloe.

But the war with Ford was an ego thing. They were in their ivory tower but I’ve always felt that the war was more between Pierre Berge and Tom than Yves. Yves barely spoke but Bergé was very vocal, agressive in the press and behind the scenes.

But back to Maria, I think now more than ever, we understand why they made such a good pair with Pierpaolo. Maria is very pragmatic in a Frida Giannini way and Pierpaolo has rêves of grandeur but it’s very surface level. I think the pair would have done a fantastic job at Dior. Because let’s be honest, they transformed Valentino through very serious clothes for both men and women. It was repetitive but the machine was well oiled.

I agree. On their own, we've got Maria, who understands romance, wearability and desirability and can analyse a house to its core, but is incapable of painting a full picture of what Dior is and we've got Pierpaolo who is a master of whimsical showmanship and drama, but is incapable of understanding the substance and nuance that such work requires. Together, they could've made a fantastic Dior. Shame that Dior burnt that bridge and are the ashes by suing Valentino.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

 

[gallianostan]

it's actually tragic that the immense talents of the petite mains are being wasted on grazia's horrid matronly designs. terminate her contract!

 

[eugenius]

Thanks for posting that. Even though I'm not particularly crazy about what her + Virginie show for their couture collections, I can always appreciate the craftsmanship on display in their "making of" videos. So for that alone, this is admirable.

But, still, even though she employs the best techniques in haute couture, it still doesn't mask the fact that the end product always leave something to be desired.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

it's actually tragic that the immense talents of the petite mains are being wasted on grazia's horrid matronly designs. terminate her contract!

 

[bc collector]

Poor Gianfranco Ferré...no one seems to remember his work at Dior!

Thanks for speaking my mind, @jeanclaude.
If you think about it, though, few seem to remember his eponymous label too...Bad management, creative fatigue and a drastic change in zeitgeist all concurred in pushing him out of the limelight, but his work in the 80's and 90's for me has a special place in Italian RTW.
Calling him to design Dior was an obvious choice on behalf of Arnault (and Maria Concetta Lanciaux), and a courageous one as well. The sense of architectural construction and the unapologetic taste for grand gestures were key elements Ferré shared with the spirit of Dior. But I think it must have been incredibly hard for Ferré to settle down and make himself at home at Avenue Montaigne, coming as he was from a such a different cultural milieu.
Ultimately, he was the first non-French (despite his passport, Karl Lagerfeld was a French at heart) at the head of a major Parisian couture house. I feel very ambivalent towards his output for the house, I kind of pair him with Raf's tenure: a very promising debut but then things somehow went slowly down from there. But he definitely did not deserve to be forgotten so fast so soon, especially because under his tenure Dior started the makeover that led where it is now.

 

[Salvatore]

All of the talented artisans, tailors, and seamstresses that worked on this are absolutely incredible. Their skill takes my breath away. Again, MGC is in no way my favourite designer, but this collection here is nice and, while a bit boring on surface, has some true works of art that’s worth nearly every last penny Dior is charging for a piece.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

It's amazing at how beautiful the clothes actually are removed from her terrible choice of models and styling nuances. On the stand, and I can also imagine on the fit models, the clothes look a lot better removed from MGC's forced gamine-esque/girls playing dress up preferences.

Would also love to see the wall tapestries made for the show be turned into pieces (as long as they're not accessories... I don't want these to be wasted on those horrendous book totes).

 

[THD96]

These savoir-faire videos only show her creativity limitations and how the ateliers are being underused. Their dedication to exquisite details and flawless execution are being wasted with the same silhouettes, same embroideries that she used every season,
They focused on showcasing the embroideries each season but what I find weak during her tenure is the tailoring, it always feels less desirable than her fairytale dresses. She doesn't understand how to work with the Bar jacket, and that is why she can't understand the spirit of Dior.
I have a lot to say about Raf's tenure but one thing that he did right is his Bar jacket is flawless.

This conversation make me think about what exactly her legacy at Dior is, even designers like Marc Bohan or Gianfranco Ferré were good, they were not memorable. When people talked about her Dior all they can say are the feminist t-shirts and it was very Valentino.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

For me, MGC is like a Michael Kors. When it's good, it's VERY GOOD. When it's bad it's MISERABLE.

She'll never make my top 20 list of favorite designers but she knows how to make exquisite clothes women want to wear---something Raf couldn't do to save his life. I mean his job.

I find her passion and appreciation for craftsmanship to be refreshing when on the other end of the spectrum you have Demna at Balenciaga.

She makes clothes for old, boring, rich women. Get over it.


also: the bar jacket was a misogynist design that only represents a fraction of Dior's oeuvre. She gets no grievances from me for letting out the waist and making it easier to wear (which Marc Bohan already did).

The irony that some of you (men) clown her for her feminist t-shirts and then insist she ascribe to such an oppressive garment is not lost on me.

 

[perhydrol]

^I wouldn't call the Bar jacket explicitely mysoginistic, but limiting Dior only to that one silhouette is hilarious. I'd like to remind that it was the Bar which ultimately led to Galliano's creative burnout and it wasn't enough to save Raf.

With MGC, her work is extremely unimaginative and her obsession with Bohan is just unsufferable. That being said, Dior needs someone like her due to its current size and the problems with continuity. After all, a brand this enormous shouldn't change its creative director every three years and requires someone more commercial than experimental. Therefore, if someone is to blame, it wouldn't be MGC because it's not her fault that Dior needs to sell a lot. Of course her views on feminism are superficial, but so are our times.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

^I wouldn't call the Bar jacket explicitely mysoginistic, but limiting Dior only to that one silhouette is hilarious. I'd like to remind that it was the Bar which ultimately led to Galliano's creative burnout and it wasn't enough to save Raf.

With MGC, her work is extremely unimaginative and her obsession with Bohan is just unsufferable. That being said, Dior needs someone like her due to its current size and the problems with continuity. After all, a brand this enormous shouldn't change its creative director every three years and requires someone more commercial than experimental. Therefore, if someone is to blame, it wouldn't be MGC because it's not her fault that Dior needs to sell a lot. Of course her views on feminism are superficial, but so are our times.

Women literally protested it in droves.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

^The bar silhouette of then IS dated. I re-look over a lot of the earlier iterations of it and notice how poor the proportion balance really is and how far it was pushed whilst not being fully resolved, but that's also what pissed a lot of people off about Dior too at the time. The excess in both shape and fabric.

To relax it makes a lot of sense and makes it contemporary, but it's just her play on proportions that always feels a bit off to me. I don't want to see it as the only thing in a Dior collection, but treat it like the Valentino red of a collection: doesn't always have to be featured so prominently but when it's done, do it right (of course update in ways to move with the times).

Cristobal did some fabulous nipped waist jackets pre-Christian Dior which I much prefer because of how modern and chic they looked so Maria could look at that but I don't think she has the true sensibility to fully pull it off, nor do I think the models she chooses as well. She is very much a Marc Bohan of this time though. There's a safeness and slight tweeness to her approach that exemplifies her comfort zones.

 

[gallianostan]

also: the bar jacket was a misogynist design that only represents a fraction of Dior's oeuvre.

LOL pack it up, coco chanel.

 

[Caffeine]

Misogynist design or not, I found the classic Bar jacket a great piece to pair with dresses. It's highly versatile.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

THAT classic bar jacket? The one that requires a corset and padding?

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Here's MGC's update.

 

[Frederic01]

Women literally protested it in droves.

I believe they were not protesting the bar jacket itself, but primarily the excessive use of fabric used in the corolle skirt and in the evening gowns. It was seen as ostentatious in the aftermath of the war to use so much fabric and so prominently especially after such austerity measures were put in place (like rationing of textiles) in the United Kingdom and in France.


HARPERS BAZAAR

And the Bar Jacket itself was a tribute to women and to the silhouette of what was considered feminine at the time. The construction and shaping of the bar were intended to enhance the once natural curves of the women who had been emaciated through restrictive wartime food rationing. It was an ode to the women in his life that he loved so dearly and who clearly desired clothes like his.

If anything, the Chanel jacket, in its attempt to erase the traditional female figure, could be viewed as far more misogynistic in a way.