Dior’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection was special for a number of reasons. First of all, 2017 marks the beginning of the celebration of 70 years of Monsieur Dior’s brand. Then, by coincidence, it’s also the 10th anniversary of Kris Van Assche as creative director of Dior Homme. When the brand on 30 Avenue Montaigne honors its heritage, it’s with all the magic that this legacy demands. On July 5, an exhibit opened at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris that gives a retrospective on the founder’s original styles. Last week, during the Paris stopover of Men’s Fashion Week, Kris Van Assche once more put his creativity to work through the craftsmanship of the brand’s workshops.
Called “Late Night Paris”, the collection traces an unparalleled line between tailoring and streetwear. Stitches appear on a number of suits to highlight the large gift ribbons at their workshops on 3 rue Marignan. Beneath the glass dome of the Grand Palais transformed into a night club, the iconic Dior tuxedo took on a new liberty similar to that of a first night out. Technically, a reflection on the composition process of the garment and an interrogation of proportions guided the designer’s scissors. For Spring/Summer 2018, this legendary piece from Dior’s men’s ateliers is getting reinvented with a wise deconstruction that mixes voluminous effects and creative audacity within impeccably controlled silhouettes.
With oversized suit pants, the bottom part of a suit jacket taken for a belt, a blazer sculpted like a long summer coat in a black wool, the Summer 2018 man is playing with different rules and presents himself in a slightly off-kilter suit. The remarkable piece in this runway is the iconic Dior Homme jacket made without a back or sleeveless, but preserving all the brand’s distinction when slanted tails are added to it. With a surprising and refreshing nod to the passage into adulthood, Kris Van Assche is signing off on his anniversary runway with key details that are sure to go down in the books in years to come.
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