DIOR RTW AW 2021 ~ AN EXPLORATION TO FAIRYTALES

Immerse in a magical set, Dior presents the Ready-to-Wear A/W 2021 collection, an exploration to fairytales with the Palace of  Versailles as the centre stage.

Photo Elina Kechicheva

In every collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri chooses a territory where the time-space dimension is erased: suggestions and intentions give form and contours to an articulated constellation of clothes and accessories. For the autumn-winter 2021-2022 ready-to-wear collection, Dior‘s creative director explores the world of fairy tales. A network of symbols, the tale is hardly just a means of escape: it serves to challenge and revisit stereotypes and archetypes. It consists of a narrative projected into the future. Revisited by Maria Grazia Chiuri , the toy soldier’s uniform thus transforms into a series of blue cashmere coats embellished with touches of red and white. Shimmering lamé and lurex jacquards lend this stylized silhouette a metallic shine; fabrics made with gold and silver threads appear to float as if by magic. Black boldly asserts itself on a range of pieces from skirts to the bar jacket punctuated with the cannage motif, an iconic Dior code, or with a hood that might have been worn by Angela Carter’s little red riding hood*.

Red is a through line, on little coats (“I think a red coat is very nice!” wrote Monsieur Dior in the little dictionary of fashion): it illuminates capes and raincoats always with hoods. It permeates tartans via an archival rose motif** evoking the original tale of beauty and the beast, of which Maria Grazia Chiuri is particularly fond, notably in jean Cocteau’s film adaptation, itself inspired by the fairy tales of two writers: Madame D’aulnoy, a contemporary of Perrault, and Madame Leprince de Beaumont.
Evening gowns are fit for princesses, in layered tulles that seem to evaporate in a froth of marvelous colours. Then there are white collars, plastrons in broderie anglaise, and white bobby socks recalling the world of childhood.

A new self-awareness, born of a feminine sensibility that knows how to blend memories of the past and maturity, as if by magic.

* a story in the the bloody chamber collection, published in 1979 by Gollancz.
** based on an original drawing by Andrée Brossin de Méré, one of Monsieur Dior’s cherished collaborators, to whom the collection also pays tribute.

THE BEUTY LOOK with DIOR MAKE-UP

Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior Make-up, created a make-up look with emphasis on the eyes, accentuated by a pictorial smoky eye with subtle nuances, for the autumn-winter 2021-2022 ready-to-wear collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri.

Peter Philips explains: “I emphasized the eyes by creating a variation on an intense smoky eye, brightened by blending out the eyeshadow. I wanted the eyes to be dark and poetic, in harmony with the mysterious, fairy tale atmosphere of this collection, spectacularly presented in the Château de Versailles.”

Photo Charlotte Navio for Christian Dior Parfums

EYES

Peter Philips gives us the details of his focus on “Intense eyes, heightened by a very intricate smoky eye look. I started by circling the entire eye with a dark line in Diorshow 24h stylo 091 matte black, then I applied Diorshow mono couleur couture 098 black bow matte quite heavily at the inner and outer corners of the eyes. Next, I gradually blended and smudged the dark eye shadow to create a lighter area in the centre of the eyelid. This opens the eye by creating a really pictorial blending that avoids a heavy, overly “made-up” effect. I added the finishing touch to this poetic, dramatic look by structuring the eyebrows with Diorshow brow styler and Diorshow pump ´n’ brow, adapted to each skin tone.”

COMPLEXION

Peter Philips describes “a perfect, luminous complexion prepped with the capture totale skincare routine, including the new Capture Totale Super Potent Eye Serum which I applied to the eye area. Then I used Dior backstage face & body primer 001 universal which blurs any flaws and ensures perfect hold for the Dior backstage face & body foundation, with each shade chosen according to skin tone. I finished with a few light touch-ups of Dior flash luminizer, followed by a gentle dusting of tone-on-tone Dior backstage face & body powder-no-powder.”

LIPS

Lips were very natural, just hydrated with rouge Dior satin balm 000 Diornatural.

NAILS

Nails were natural in Dior vernis 108 Muguet.

HAIR

The models’ natural hair texture, whether straight or curly, was kept. Some wore braids, and hair was accessorized with either silk scarves, headbands or small veils from Maria Grazia Chiuri’s collection.

THE SET

Photos Adrien Dirand, Art Installation Silvia Giambrone