HAUTE COUTURE COLLECTION SPRING SUMMER 2021
Beliefs Organza
Magical Theatrical Escapism
Self awareness Blues
Mystical
Fantasy Gold
Cinematic
Key
Exaggeration Identity Copper Rose Gold
Symbolism Medieval
Alter Ego
Fantasy
Rebirth Zodiac Signs (Horoscopes)
Prediction
Silk
Hindsight
•Creating a bridge between fantasy and reality seems to be a recurring theme for Maria Grazia Chiuri's pandemic-era couture collections, as evidenced by her Spring/Summer 2021 and even her Autumn/Winter 2020 couture collection which also has an element of fantasia. •Maria Grazia Chiuri’s spring-summer 2021 haute couture collection was based on the Tarot, an obsession of Monsieur Dior’s. He was very engaged by prognostications of all kinds. The collection reflects the esoteric origins and meanings of the cards in the tarot deck. •The course of Monsieur Dior's life was heavily influenced by his superstitious beliefs, and the esoteric world of the divinatory arts now provides the inspiration for sumptuous clothing rich in symbolism and overflowing with breathtaking #DiorSavoirFaire, with colors influenced by the 15th-century Visconti-Sforza decks and featuring totally reinvented tarot motifs.
Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKga9vJKV-V/
Hindsight
•The collection was staged as a young woman’s voyage of self-discovery, guided through a labyrinthine castle by characters from the Tarot. The symbolism of the tarot inspires a collection rich in luscious fabrics and glittering embroideries, where sleek monochrome tailoring meets dream-inducing eveningwear in precious hues. •The characters in the film leaned towards the elaborate Renaissance embellishment of the famous Visconti-Sforza Tarot, decorated by Bonifacio Bembo for the Duke of Milan in the 14th century. The lookbook presented a more typically broad spectrum of Chiuri’s interpretation of Dior, from resplendent to rigorous. But in both film and lookbook, the most interesting character was the principal boy, the main character’s male-twinned alter ego who trolled her through the castle. She finally coupled with him in a bathtub at film’s end to consummate her journey to absolute self-awareness.
Source: https://www.businessoffashion.com/opinions/fashion-week/otherworldly-escapism-at-haute-couture
Insight •In a time as strange and unprecedented as ours, the role of haute couture is thrown into flux. On the one hand, the need for bespoke clothing that retails for tens of thousands of dollars feels like a relic from another era—one of crammed social calendars, extravagant soirees, and long, glamorous dinners. On the other hand, the role of fashion as a cultural artifact feels strangely timely—if nothing else, right now we are looking for things that provide fantasy and escapism, things we can possess and obsess over, things with permanence and longevity. •“Who wouldn’t want a glimpse of the future right now? “That’s just one vision of the Tarot. The other point of view is that it helps you know more about yourself, like a mandala. In this moment, when everyone is isolated at home, they’re looking inwards. That was the vision that fascinated me.” -Maria Grazia Chiuri Source: https://graziamagazine.com/us/articles/christian-dior-haute-couture-spring-summer-2021/
Insight
•Tarot cards are among the keys to accessing the magical realm, to explore the unknown while fearlessly looking deep inside oneself. A way to be introspective, the cards reflect your personality. •This collection offers an escape from the doldrums of quarantine. In a moment where we are all lost with our personal lives, this attraction to magic can help us have hope for the future. •Chiuri later revealed she was particularly inspired by Tarot while designing this collection, drawn, as so many others have been, to the world of mysticism and destiny, during a moment where the future feels shaky and uncertain.
Source: https://www.businessoffashion.com/opinions/fashion-week/couture-in-the-time-of-covid-19-realism-or-fantasy
Foresight
•Escapism: Escapism has long been a driving force for consumer behaviours. The need to seek distraction and relief from the unpleasant realities of the world influences everything: from the media we watch and the products we buy, to where we travel. ‘Escapism’ in many ways has become a marketing by-word for seeking entertainment or engaging in a level of fantasy. The cultural shifts that have occurred under Covid have influenced what it means to escape, instead of grand adventures, escapism is now all about the fantasy of control and self-sufficiency. Looking towards our post-lockdown limbo, Cottage Core fantasies of escapism are likely to bleed into our cultural and artistic outputs and it has already staretedhappening.
Source: https://www.hookresearch.co.uk/changing-messages-escaism-covid/#:~:text='Escapism'%20in%20many%20ways%20has,escape%20i nto%20the%20every%20day%E2%80%9D
Communication Strategy •Magical •Mystical •Cinematic •Mythological •Symbolism
Analysis
Maria Grazia Chiuri has rebooted Dior as a progressive brand, phasing out old-fashioned concepts of feminine charm in favour of the primacy of the female gaze. The tensions of the past year have seen her retreat from political statements towards a daintier aesthetic and a more whimsical mood. Keeping the powerful feminity alive, this collection and film, in this time of great uncertainty, is a celestial dreamscape. It transports you to another world away from the reality, and gives us hope for the future. The pandemic has increased the need for Escapism and self-awareness, and this showcase offers exactly that.
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