A fashion show usually ends with a finale, but for Kim Jones’ fifth year as artistic director of Dior menswear on Friday he decided to switch things up.
Taking place in a giant purpose-built grey box within the vast complex of the École Militaire, behind the Eiffel Tower, a phalanx of models rose up from underneath trapdoors hidden on the catwalk.
Each stood patiently on the spot until it was their turn to walk a loop of the catwalk, returning to their place and disappearing again.
“It’s all about the clothes,” Jones said before the show. And his new format ensured just that, with audience members including Amber Valletta, Demi Moore and the White Lotus star Adam DiMarco given ample time to see each piece static and in motion.
Delving into the archives, Jones took inspiration from his notable Dior predecessors. Neat jackets were splattered with sparkling gemstones, a homage to the giant cabochons of Christian Dior’s heyday, while trousers came cropped at the ankle, a nod to Pierre Cardin’s 1940s tenure. Jones also continued his exploration of Yves Saint Laurent’s more fluid silhouettes. First reinterpreted by Jones last season, this time round they included swishy duster style coats and single-breasted louche jackets.
It has been a big week for LVMH, the French fashion conglomerate that owns Dior.
On Tuesday night, Louis Vuitton, another of its luxury brands, made headlines when Pharrell Williams, its new creative director of menswear, made his design debut. With guests including Rihanna and Beyoncé, and a choir and a surprise after-show performance by Jay-Z and Williams, many attenders said it felt more like a concert than a fashion show.
Williams also attended Jones’s show on Friday. But it’s clear LVMH has a different approach for Dior. Jones is hyper-focused on quality. He draws heavily on the house’s couture heritage, even though it’s a ready-to-wear line. Each piece in this collection including tweed sweater vests and shorts referenced Dior’s famed cannage stitching, a geometrical pattern of braiding employed by the house since its inception in 1947.
This fusion of old with new is a tactic that is paying off. In 2022, it was revealed that the men’s business had increased more than fivefold since Jones took the role in 2018. In January, revenue and profit at the Christian Dior group were up 23% with the group crediting leather goods as key to the increase.
A growing category in menswear, this season each of the 52 looks came with a bag. One of its bestsellers, the saddle bag reintroduced by Jones in his Dior debut, was given an updated look. Swinging a tobacco-coloured version over his arm, Jones said he had “streamlined it and added a quick release buckle”. There was also a “baby” model: palm sized in fluro green, it will have plenty of social media appeal.
Although Jones loves to look to the past, he is fully aware of the cultural cachet Dior taps into.
Screaming fans surrounded the venue hoping for a glimpse of the K pop star Cha Eun-woo, who sat alongside Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie.
“There is so much visibility and exposure now,” says Jones. The red carpet has become even more of a focus with high demand for a new type of contemporary tailoring.
“The kids want to look cool. They don’t want to dress like their older peers.”
DiMarco, wearing a look from the latest collection including navy trousers and a pale blue and white pin-striped hooded jacket over a tangerine-coloured shirt, said: “He [Jones] brings so much of himself to Dior but there’s still a nod to the history. I just love wearing it.”
Alongside A-listers, Jones gets an equal thrill from spotting customers on the street.
“You design with a certain person in mind but then a completely different person buys it. I saw an older guy in something a bit more jazzy and he was really enjoying it. That’s fascinating to see.”
