Athletics of the Atelier
Review of Christian Dior Fall 2024 Couture Fashion Show
By Mark Wittmer
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
It seems even Maria Grazia Chiuri has caught Olympics fever. As anticipation builds for the Summer Games in Paris next month, the Christian Dior creative director infused a consideration for the strength and movement of the body subtly influenced by the world of sport into her consistent practice of timeless design and beautiful craft.
The stage was set with an extension of the creative director’s ongoing collaboration with the Chanakya ateliers and School of Craft, who executed monumental re-editions of athlete portraits by Faith Ringgold, whose practice of quilt painting and other textile art, as well as her legacy of feminist activism that is inseparable from her creative practice in her home of Harlem and beyond, align with Chiuri’s vision for the house.
In the collection itself, the athletic references are less overt. Most noticeable is the transformation of racer-neck tanks into into intricate and glittering bodices for couture gowns, as well as references to the ancient attire of the original Olympians. Meanwhile, the journey through time extends through art deco and elevated takes on 20s drop-waist dresses, through to a bit of 70s flair and contemporary suiting sets that are simple and sophisticated.
While it could have been exciting to see Chiuri experiment more with construction drawn from the world of sportswear, it makes sense that her primary consideration is the body: both its beauty and the feats it can accomplish, whether athletic or artistic.
THE BUZZWORDS
Timeless craft. Athletic elegance.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look #30
Simple yet intricately conceived and crafted, this beautiful dress fully synthesizes the collection’s reference points of ancient elegance, athletic awareness, and craft excellence.
THE DIRECTION
THE WRAP UP
From Ancient Greece, to 20th-century Harlem, to the Paris of today, some things change, and some stay the same. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Christian Dior trace these threads, weaving a narrative of bodily beauty, women’s empowerment, and the way these are communicated through craft techniques that are handed down and evolve over centuries.
