Dream and reality, past and present became a concept of fluidity for Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Spring 2025 couture show at Dior where the feminine and whimsical were given a punk-rock edge.
Embellished mohawks, fishnet knee-highs and gladiator-laced ballet flats juxtaposed delicate and intricate lace, organza and raffia styles as though models straddle two realities or as the show notes cite, a “temporal paradox” akin to Alice’s looking glass allowing access to another realm.
As models walked to tracks from Fred again… and Angie McMahon’s “light dark light”, the exploration “between childhood and adulthood, dream and reality” felt both romantically dreamy and hauntingly dark.
Exposed crinolines, intricate floral embroidery and an abundance of sheer fabric, were expertly designed—as Chiuri so often does, with women in mind—featuring double-layered underpinnings and perfectly placed embellishments.
A nod to the past transformed for the modern woman, Chiuri revisits two archival looks; The Cigale silhouette, designed by Monsieur Dior for the autumn-winter 1952-1953 haute couture collection, and Yves Saint Laurent’s spring 1958 couture Trapeze dress.
Art by Rithika Merchant in collaboration with Chanakya Atelier and Chanakya School of Craft hung from the walls in the form of large-scale textile panels telling a story of fantastical flora and fauna, added to the surrealism of the collection. The artwork will be available for the public to see from January 28 to February 2, 2025 at the Rodin Museum. As for Dior’s haute couture collection, scroll on for the best looks.







