The Art of Cartography in Dior's Spring/Summer 2023
Through a rendition of cartography, Maria Grazie Chiuri imprints the history of Paris onto Dior's new Spring/Summer 2023 collection.
Maps are one of the most important human inventions. They allow people to explore and explain the world we inhabit. We can visualize and interpret historical events that depict the past from cultural and social trends to the arts. For Dior's Spring/Summer 2023 collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri pays tribute to the maps of Paris and their importance in the creation of the city of lights.
Opening the show with a number of interpretive dances showcased the richness and importance of dance in the city, knowing that Paris is the nation’s dance capital. As the dancers move across the runway, the liveliness of the city shines through.
The French luxury house pays homage to the landmarks, streets, and locale of the city with its elegant craftsmanship and embroidery. A modernized three-dimensional black dress with fishnet gloves speaks to the history of crinoline, a garment that was once used to support dresses. Trench coats, jackets, dresses, jumpsuits, and pants were all made with black and white replicas of the cartography of the city. Place des Vosges and its flowers were in the prints of the collections, from beige to dark, navy blue.
A combination of ruffles and embroidery were also present in the collection, followed by sleepwear and robe-styled pieces. Denim paired with neutral tops to accent the color of the jean took us to an arrondissement of casualwear. The show was an evolution of clothing in Paris through the gorgeous streets and landmarks that shaped the history of the city of lights, and as the show closed, Chiuri walked through what appeared to be a replica of the Bastille monument to take bows.
