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DIOR HAUTE COUTURE: FALL 2020 “LE MYTHE DIOR”

July 14, 2020
Photo of two porters, in a forest, carrying an open trunk filled with doll size versions of the Dior dresses

Just when you thought that Dior couldn’t get any more magical, Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri comes out with a new idea and presents their new Fall collection, making us all fall in love, once again with the brand. 

A few days ago, while browsing Instagram, I saw the most striking photo that immediately conjured a dreamlike nostalgia to my favourite childhood film, Labyrinth (1986). With the sequel of this wonderful film causing a buzz online and the confirmation that the stunning Jennifer Connelly is returning once again as Sarah, immediately, I was inspired to go and find out more. 

  • A lithograph illustration, entitled Relativity, by M C Esher. The picture has many, many flights of stairs all coming from different directions, out of the walls, doorways, arches and ceilings. All leading to themselves, or other walls in an illusion incomprehendable. Traversing these stairs are blank people, with no faces, either climbing or descending the stairs, or occupying one of the many peculiar outdoor rooms. There are also many gymnasts through out walking, arched backwards, into the bridge position, walking on their hands and feet, upside down.
  • One of the most famous still screenshot from the film Labyrinth. An almost direct clone of the many staircases and arches of M C Escher's Relativity. It's impossible to tell whether the image is upright, upside down or sideways, every way leading to somewhere else that faces another direction, some to dead ends. In a central platform, Sarah stands, fairly upright staring at her baby brother in dismay, as he climbs a stair case in the near corner, however that goes both downwards and sideways.
  • An impossible looking, complex maze that spans what appears to be miles, set in a desolate wasteland, in front of a village and central castle. The confusion of the maze and juxtaposing angles are similar to the artwork of M C Esher, and show that same desperate madness and frustration his artwork often shows.
  • Hand with Reflective Sphere, by M C Esher, this is another Lithograph illustration, of a hand holding a highly reflective ball shaped mirror. Inside the reflection you can see the face of the man holding the ball., his face and the room he resides in, a distorted reflection of book cases, chairs and a window on the far wall.

Dior released this series of photographs, that many have said are inspired by Alice in Wonderland, but I have a different understanding. All I could see were the illustrations by Dutch artist M.C. Escher, that inspired and now go hand in hand with many of the most iconic scenes in Labyrinth. Mind-boggling perspectives and illusions, surreal materials and hands shaped like faces (Did anyone else see the Helping Hands? Yeah, me too!). One specific dress created by Dior all but confirmed this: a voluminous white tulle layered gown, photographed with a background that perfectly captured the ballroom scene, where Jareth (the ruler of this perplexing realm, also known as the Goblin King, played by David Bowie) holds a Mascarade ball to enchant the protagonist Sarah. Both dresses have similar fabrics, are covered in swirling sparkles like that of Van Gogh’s starry night, and have a prom dress nostalgic of past times.  It’s hard for me not to see the correlation when it’s this clear. 

  • Another one of the most famous still screenshots from the movie Labyrinth, from a scene where faces made only from hands are talking. In this shot, you see two hands , fingers touching thumbs for the eyes, a fist for the nose and two more hands curved to mae a smile against a dark background. This photo is almost identical to a face made from hands used in some of the photography for the Dior photoshoot
  • In this still shot from Labyrinth, we see the protagonist Sarah wearing a beautiful gown, white and silver, with sleeves that look like clouds, all scattered with crystals, wearing an ornate collar. In this image, she is somehow contained in a bubble, floating and irridescent. Not only does the dress appear similar (however with an 80s styling) to several of the pieces in this collection from Dior, however her reflection captured in this reflective bubble, is highly reminiscent of M C Esher's illustration.
  • Photo of a 50´s style strapless Gown, made of white sparkly tulle creating voluminous layers , with a background of hands making faces, eyes, and distorted rooms

The sheer fantasy and glamour of Dior’s collection and the accompanying video pairs up perfectly with Jim Henson’s fantasy film, which also is filled with themes of transformation, and turning struggle into an opportunity for growth. Just as the well-known Latin phrase says, PER ASPERA AD ASTRA (THROUGH HARDSHIPS, TO THE STARS), Maria Grazia Chiuri took a moment of hardship, transformed it and transported us to a world of pure stars and magic. 

  • Photo of a 50´s strapless style Gown, made of different layers of wine tulle and white feathers embroidered all around the plunging neckline and skirt, with a background of paper flames
  • Photo of a 50´s style wedding Gown with long sleeves and high neckline, made of white flowery lace, with a background of a flowers and leaves
  • Photo of a floor Length Gown, made of a transparent material that has peach and blue flowers embroideres all over and greek braids over the chest area , with a background of a distorted staircase
  • Photo of a floor Length Gown, skirt made out of beaded like postcards and a drapped black tulle top , with a background with paper animals
  • Photo of a 50´s style Gown, made of white cutouts of tulle with black strass coming from the chest area dowon to the knees, with a background of a repetition of the same dress
  • Photo of a floor Length Gown, made of a champagne sparkly pleated chiffon material and an intricate gold see through embroidery work on the chest, with a background of a distorted staircase
  • Photo of a floor Length Gown, made of ga champagne pleated material with greek braids over the waist and neck , with a background of giant hands creating weird shapes

Upon my fervent research to learn all I could about the collection, I discovered that it was supposedly inspired by the “Theatré a la Mode”, a movement created by designers 75 years ago to promote couture after World War II. Chiuri scaled down her designs to doll size models that not only appear in the 10-minute-video, but will travel around the world to be seen by their VIP buyers. In their first online presentation ever, Dior displays a 37 piece collection of gowns worn by mythological creatures which took my breath away. As is common in her pieces and presentations, designer Maria Grazia puts women in a position of power, where even if these creatures look fragile, they are more powerful than you may think and carry the designs in a playful, yet elegant way. The video made to showcase them was filmed by the director Matteo Garrone, better known for The Tale of Tales, and he takes us along a journey of fantasy which, at the end of the day, haute couture is all about. 

  • One of the artisans working at Dior, wearing a scientist's white lab coat, a bracelet filled with pins at his wrist looking at his creation. He holds open a fantastic miniature coat, black and folded in waves of pleats that resemble feathers, layered over each other creating an amazing silhouette. The coat is on a mannequin that is slightly smaller than the man's torso, sitting atop a desk.
  • Photo of a floor Length Gown, made of black sparkly chiffon material with a cape and a gold belt, with a background of a distorted staricase
  • Photo of a floor Length Gown, made of a sparkly peach colour material and grey cascading embroidery, with half a cape and greek braids over the chest area , with a background of a distorted staircase
  • Photo of a floor Length Gown, made of grey sparkly pleated chiffon material with half a cape and greek braids over the chest area , with a background of a distorted room
  • Photo of a 50´s style two piece coord consisting of a skirt and a jacket, made of textured grey tweed and black buttons, with a background of a distorted room
  • Photo of a floor Length Gown, made of black and grey sparkly chiffon material with half a cape and greek braids over the plunging neckline , with a background of a distorted room

The decision to approach the collection in this way was not left to chance. Chiuri had a talk with Vogue via Zoom to discuss the future of fashion and, more importantly, runway shows following the pandemic. This is how the concept of the video and the trunk filled with miniature versions of the gowns was born. These miniatures will travel the world accompanied by their full-size sisters to showcase their quality and hand craftsmanship. The same conversation inspired Maria’s muses for “Le Mythe Dior”: women like Lee Miller and Jaqueline Lamba, powerful women that excelled in the art of surrealism, influence some of the neutral colours of the garments, the hypnotic liquid velvet fabrics and the photography style in which the gowns are shown. Moreover, each piece is a work of art: beautifully embroidered tulle, ghostly layers of pleated chiffon and meticulously patchworked pastel lace mix in an intricate dance, worthy of the fairy-tale created by Dior. 

  • Photo of a floor Length open coat, made of black pleated tulle creating voluminous layers , with a background of a distorted staircase
  • Photo of a 50´s style Gown, made of whitefeathers all around and a thin belt, with a background of a distorted staircase
  • Photo of a floor Length Gown, made of white tulle and an embroidered quote in black over the chest area , with a background of a distorted words

When it comes to silhouettes, this time and if inspired by the grandiosity of a villain like Jareth, Dior gives us theatrical pieces that are bigger than ever, just like the new black coat in the collection, which seems to be taken straight out of a dreamland world, or the feather gown, that seems to me at least, completely inspired by Jareth’s last outfit in the film. However, Dior also graces its mythological creatures with silhouettes that have taken them to the top of this industry. Another piece that was the talk of the internet, happens to be one that I also heavily correlated to Labyrinth. Carefully embroidered with black thread over soft, angelical tulle, the phrase ‘Blanche et muette, habillée des pensées que tu me prêtes’, translated as “White and mute, dressed in the thoughts you lend me” embodies, for me, what Jareth sought in Sarah, a girl that appeared to be pure and quiet but actually held the power to move stars. This was shown visually in the film as well, Sarah was clothed in white throughout, a colour which is often used to display purity and innocence on screen. This countered her growing strength and character, as she found her voice. This idea goes well with what the poet Marcel Mariën wanted to communicate: women are not only muses for men, but artists in their own right.

Maybe Labyrinth didn’t play any part in the inspiration for this beautiful collection, or maybe, just maybe Maria Grazia Chiuri has a secret affection for this beloved classic. Personally, I found a deep connection that made me fall in love with Dior a little more this season.

Xoxo, 

Signature of Handwritten text: Verónica, a small heart dotting the eye

2 thoughts on “DIOR HAUTE COUTURE: FALL 2020 “LE MYTHE DIOR””

  1. Honestly, this is completely and utterly my favourite post you’ve ever written. Seeing your Labyrinth take was fascinating and I thought your writing was outstanding through and through. It was truly incredible, I’ve read it over and over, it was everything. Fantastic research and personal insight, all of it. I’m so proud and I love you so, so, so much.

    1. Thank you so, so much Love! That’s really nice of you and thank you for your support and for the push to actually sat down and write it 😉

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