Designers who work at iconic fashion houses often look back on the label’s historical past for inspiration and reference points in their new seasonal collections. After all, at places like Dior, which was founded in 1946, there are decades of work to be reexamined and reimagined. Maria Grazia Chiuri embraced this school of thought for Dior’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection. The house’s creative director was not only inspired by a map of Paris that was printed on an early 1950s Dior scarf, but she was also fascinated by Catherine de Medici. (For a little history lesson, Medici was queen of France from 1547 to 1559 and was known to be an unyielding ruler. She was also the mother to three French kings: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III.) Show “[This] noblewoman remains a figure emblematic of the relationship between women and power, and fascinates Maria Grazia Chiuri because of her political intelligence, but also the innovations she launched, such as heels, the corset, and Burano lace, introduced to the royal manufactures,” the house states in its show notes. It should be noted that Chiuri has a history at Dior for highlighting strong, powerful women in her collections. Thus, the polarizing Medici was right up Chiuri’s alley. Dominique Charriau/WireImage Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images For her Spring 2023 lineup, Chiuri aptly merges what she’s learned about Medici with Dior’s classic design codes. As models walked down the runway in the Tuileries Garden, which was created by Medici in 1564, corsetry stood out as key component in Dior’s new offerings. Chiuri updated this boudoir piece by giving it a quasi-geometric shape that frames the bust. As the show notes reveal: “[This] guêpière, sometimes hidden, sometimes visible, outlines a silhouette reminiscent of the wide skirts worn at the court of Catherine de Medici.” Kristy Sparow/Getty Images Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Kristy Sparow/Getty Images Florals and lace were in abundance as well, with blooms appearing on bralettes, paperbag-waist skirts, and billowy shorts. Oftentimes, these pieces featured a delicate white lace trim along the hemlines. Several standout pieces from the collection were Dior’s raffia coats, which as stated by the show notes are an “ancestral tradition,” that was reimagined by Chiuri via floral and bird motifs for the more contemporary consumer. In drawing from Dior’s historical past for this collection, Chiuri also seemed to pay tribute to one of its former creative directors: John Galliano, one of the first British designers to take over a French fashion house, working at Dior from 1996 to 2011. Several Instagram users pointed to the Mary Jane heels in the Spring 2023 collection baring similarities to the sculptural shapes Galliano created for Dior in the 2000s. As for the handbags, eagle-eyed fans will spot new iterations of the icons like the Lady Dior along with a new, tassel adorned bucket bag style for next season. Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images There were also brooding elements to complement the romantic, light, and delicate vibes on the catwalk. At times, the clothes and accessories gave off gothic-inspired energy, whether it was through the bejeweled pendant necklaces or moody color palette — or the first several outfits of the line-up, which were all black. The use of these shades could be interpreted by fans as another subtle nod to Medici, who was referred to as the “The Black Queen,” for her ruthlessness in war and her conviction in doing anything to keep her family in power. (There’s plenty to be discussed about Medici and her family, of course, but that’s a didactic lecture for another time.) Ahead, take a look at several of TZR’s favorite runway looks from Chiuri’s latest collection for Dior as you ruminate over her artistic direction. Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Dominique Charriau/WireImage Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images Dominique Charriau/WireImage Dominique Charriau/WireImage Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images For this Dior Spring Summer 2023 ready-to-wear défilé, the Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri notably uses the image of a map of Paris from the House’s archives, printed on a scarf and structured around the Avenue Montaigne*. Thus she traces her own path, between autobiography and reflection. Then comes the Tuileries Garden, which was commissioned by Catherine de Medici. An Italian who arrived at the French court in 1533, this noblewoman remains a figure emblematic of the relationship between women and power, and fascinates Maria Grazia Chiuri because of her political intelligence, but also the innovations she launched, such as heels, the corset, and Burano lace, introduced to the royal manufactures. Women know how to explore magical territories since they have a privileged connection with nature and its vital force. They listen to the turmoil that often traverses them. That most secret realm, at once in the shadows and marvelous, is like the baroque caves that inspired the artist Eva Jospin for the decor she dreamed up for this show in the heart of the Jardin des Tuileries. Noncompliant with predetermined existences, women are capable of exercising power in many ways, including by escaping through the mind. The power of fashion becomes the power of women, a form of awareness that draws on this attraction to the outside world, to what lies beyond perception, knowledge and common experience. Fashion dialogues with reality through artifice; the garments of the Court are transformed. Maria Grazia Chiuri updates the corset by giving it a quasi-geometric shape that frames the bust. Thus, the guêpière, sometimes hidden, sometimes visible, outlines a silhouette reminiscent of the wide skirts worn at the court of Catherine de Medici. An ancestral tradition, raffia coats adorned with floral and bird motifs, that is also revisited with Dior’s creativity and contemporary expertise. This collection pays homage to fashion as an art of invention, able to redefine the city of Paris over and over again, each and every time, allowing the multiple facets of its history to live on. Fashion as an urban concept, a showcase of clothes that color the spaces of our time; the city as a backdrop for the material and immaterial imagination of fashion and beyond. The map as a means of staging a city, of expressing the cultural complexity of our era, celebrating the power of the women who navigate it daily. You May Also Like: Designer Collections  You May Also Like: Fashion Models Where was the Dior Cruise 2023?Decked out in red flowers, Sevilla's Plaza de España provided a spectacular backdrop for the Cruise 2023 collection designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, Artistic Director for Dior Women's collections.
What was Dior's New Look?Christian Dior's reputation as one of the most important couturiers of the twentieth century was launched in 1947 with his very first collection, in which he introduced the “New Look.” Featuring rounded shoulders, a cinched waist, and very full skirt, the New Look celebrated ultra-femininity and opulence in women's ...
Where was the Dior show held?K-Pop Glitterati Dominated the Front Row
Jisoo attends the Dior spring 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 27, 2022 in Paris, France. Cha Eun-woo attends the Dior spring 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 27, 2022 in Paris, France.
Who is the designer for Dior 2022?The Dior Fall/Winter 2022 Haute Couture collection is made by and for women, with Maria Grazia Chiuri being the first woman to fill the role of Creative Director for Dior.
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