The timeless currents of the Thames and the Seine weave a tale of history’s ebb and flow, forever evolving and yet forever constant. London’s majestic river and Paris’ poetic waterway, rich in symbolism and contrast, serve as both poetic inspiration for T. S. Eliot and a wellspring of creativity for Kim Jones, the visionary director of Dior Men. In this vibrant tapestry of past and present, where ancient landscapes merge with modern cityscapes, time becomes fluid. Like the waters ripple and swirl, so does fashion, exemplified in the winter collection where change, motion, comfort, and grace take centre stage. It mirrors the dynamism that propelled Yves Saint Laurent to the helm of Dior at the tender age of 21, making him one of the youngest fashion luminaries in history.
Photos – courtesy of Dior ©
Sixty-five years ago, on January 30, 1958, Yves Saint Laurent unveiled his inaugural collection for Dior, leaving an indelible mark on the world of fashion. It is this spring-summer ’58 collection that serves as the main source of inspiration for Jones’ winter offering. The intertwining narratives of men’s fashion merge with a fusion of masculine and feminine sensibilities, where British tailoring traditions converge with the elegance of haute couture. Infused within each garment is a sense of motion, modernity, practicality, and effortlessness, a harmonious blend of formal and casual elements. Silhouettes are rendered soft, supple, and adaptable, while clothing undergoes a metamorphosis, transforming and adapting to the wearer’s individual style. A pervasive sense of ease pervades the collection, masking the intricate craftsmanship and complexity that lies beneath its seemingly uncomplicated surface.
Certain pieces are plucked directly from the archives, reimagined and reinvented: Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic sailor top, crafted from cavalry twill, is loosened and transformed into an elongated fisherman’s smock; the off-the-shoulder elegance of Acacia’s tailoring is imbued with a relaxed nonchalance, now manifested in masculine wool suiting, becoming a recurring silhouette and ensemble; the passe-partout coat, known for its loosely tied neck, now envelops the wearer in slubbed, Donegal tweed, adorned with open sleeves fastened by zippers. Simultaneously, the traditional language of knitwear is subverted, given a sculptural twist through inventive styling and draping techniques, merging seamlessly with tailored elements. In contrast, daring new creations such as 3D-printed shoes and boots, alongside timeless utilitarian outerwear reminiscent of seafaring adventures, push the boundaries of the house’s craftsmanship to unprecedented contemporary heights. Meanwhile, bags exude a discreet elegance and precision, shedding unnecessary embellishments for a sleek box construction in vernis—a nod to Yves Saint Laurent’s quest for modern simplicity.
The Thames and the Seine: the ancient flow of history and mutability through their regenerating and rejuvenating waters; a movement from country to city to sea that is always different and always the same. The great rivers of London and Paris, with their connotations and contrasts, their light and murk, serve as both literary motifs for T. S. Eliot and living inspiration for Kim Jones, the artistic director of Dior Men. In this living and literary history, spanning ancient landscapes and modern cityscapes, periods of time conflate. Here, the eddies and flows of the water reflect those of fashion, including the winter collection where flux, movement, ease, and fluidity are central. It is also a reflection of the dynamism sought by Yves Saint Laurent with his ascent to the helm of Dior at the age of 21 – one of the youngest couturiers in history.
65 years ago, on the 30th of January 1958, Yves Saint Laurent presented his debut collection for Dior and the fashion world was changed once more. It is this spring-summer ’58 collection that is mainly drawn upon for Jones’ winter offering, the men’s histories intertwining with a melding of the masculine and feminine, with British tailoring traditions and materials meeting that of the haute couture tailleur. Infusing all is a sense of movement, modernity, practicality, and ease, a streamlining from excess towards an amalgam of the formal and the casual in individual garments. Silhouettes are softened, curved and malleable while clothes are hybridized and metamorphosed, worn in individual ways with the agency of the wearer. An effortlessness infuses all, belying the precision and complexity of a collection that never looks over-complicated. At times garments are taken directly from the archive, transposed and transformed: the sailor top from Yves Saint Laurent’s marine ensemble is loosened in cavalry twill and also becomes an elongated fisherman’s smock; the off-the-shoulder tailoring of Acacias adapted with slouching insouciance for masculine wool suiting, part of a new recurring silhouette and ensemble; the passe-partout coat with its loosely tied neck now cocoons in a new slubbed, Donegal tweed with the addition of zipped open sleeves. At the same time, the traditional vernacular language of knits is subverted through a sculptural approach to styling and draping together with a melding of tailoring. In counterpoint, startlingly new pieces such as 3D printed shoes and boots, and archetypal sea-faring utilitarian outerwear extend the reach of the house’s savoir-faire to an unprecedented contemporary level. Meanwhile, bags primarily take on an idea of discretion, elegance, and precision, stripped of extraneous elements with a box construction in vernis – an echo of Yves Saint Laurent’s striving for modern simplification.
PRODUCTION / DIRECTION – VILLA EUGÉNIE
CONCEPT – KIM JONES & BAILLIE WALSH
DIRECTOR – BAILLIE WALSH
MUSIQUE / MUSIC – MAX RICHTER
STYLISME / STYLING – MELANIE WARD
CASTING – SHELLEY DURKAN
MAQUILLAGE / MAKE-UP – PETER PHILIPS FOR DIOR
COIFFURE / HAIR – GUIDO PALAU
CHAPEAUX / HATS – STEPHEN JONES
DIOR JOAILLERIE – VICTOIRE DE CASTELLANE
BIJOUX / COSTUME JEWELRY – YOON AHN, MATTHEW WILLIAMS
A SPECIAL THANKS TO – GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE, ROBERT PATTINSON
