Dior’s cruise 2022 presentation had all the makings of a runway extravaganza: exquisitely crafted fashion; an awe-inspiring setting; and even the return of a front row.
But like everything creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri does, this wasn’t just a style spectacle; there was meaning imbued in every detail. The location, the magnificent Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, is the home of the modern Olympics, and served as the ultimate backdrop to showcase a collection inspired by contemporary sportswear.
Movement is freedom, Chiuri explained before the event, especially after a year spent in lockdown. As such, evening gowns were re-imagined for the girl-on-the-go, souped up with functional drawstrings, layered over bodysuits and paired with slick white sneakers and track socks. Dreamy drapery was juxtaposed against glossy windbreakers, sweatpants and leggings, and the house’s iconic Bar Jacket was stripped of its lining and reworked in sportier fabrics.
Women’s liberation is a recurring theme in Chiuri’s work, and this season she centred on the female body. We’re no longer restricted by the corsetry of eras past – or even heels – but free to move without constraint and take on the world. Perhaps no piece better reflected this than the Dior peplos, a traditional robe worn by women in Ancient Greece – and passed down from the fierce female figures of Aphrodite, Athena and co to today’s modern-day goddesses.
