Prior to the show at Christian Dior’s Haute Couture 2014, Raf Simon had said “there is no concept”, and with this we were accompanying him through a series of liberating abstractions. His endeavours have paid off. This was the refreshing outing anyone would dream of – with eyelets so thoughtfully placed, delicate layers of frou frou and geometric blossoms, less zany a notch than a cirque act.
It started with his focus on weightlessness – not with floating chiffons, but a composite of intricate layers unveiling a modern sensibility fit for present-day couture. A polka-dotted coat, strewn with flowers, accompanied by a comfy pair of trainers is all in the good works of being the worldly woman Dior embodies. With a relentless cut that accentuates the bodily curves, the mission is to bring about unrestrained movement.
Simon orchestrated a secret garden of sweetness, built upon his penchant for translucent sheaths, and a hint of sexual deviance just barely masking the audacious spirit hidden from view. Still, his guests were bowled over by his remarkable efforts in carving out body gestures with classical Dior silhouettes. The cocoon dresses are most definitely waiting for its wearer’s metamorphosis: into a social butterfly threading from one shindig to the next.
