The Dior Men summer 2023 runway show brought together Granville and Sussex — two locations that house the two main inspirations behind the collection — in quite literal fashion. The show set joined Christian Dior’s childhood home and the Charleston Farmhouse together with a blooming garden (serving as the runway) that pretty much reflected the colour palette of the collection.
“Granville and Sussex have a similar climate; the weather, the light and the garden tie one place to the other. For both Christian Dior and Duncan Grant, their homes, their gardens, and their private environments were so important for their creativity. It was these meaningful, private spheres that were translated into their work and became public. Here, we are mixing the utilitarian, natural and gardening elements with stylised, luxurious, new look facets and Duncan Grant artworks in the collection — the private and the public together,” artistic director Kim Jones expresses in the collection notes.
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Look 7.Image: Dior Men. -
Look 17.Image: Dior Men. -
Look 14.Image: Dior Men.
Jones’s penchant for combining Dior’s savoir faire — especially its tailoring — was reimagined for an outdoor summer setting. Kicking off the show was a double-breasted beige suit constructed with double-layered lapels (that look to be detachable) designed to mimic the sleeves of a traditional blazer, that’s paired with embroidered footwear as well as a backpack that’s attached with a rainproof hood. And essentially, that was the theme of the entire collection — the juxtaposition of niche outdoor gear and utilitarian pieces with the elegance typical of Dior.
But far from it from being just a show of how those two worlds could intersect, the Dior Men summer 2023 collection weaved in artistic elements informed by the Bloomsbury Group, specifically the work of Duncan Grant. They adorned knit jumpers — both in sleeveless and oversized, sleeved variations — as well as the collection’s more utilitarian pieces. And in look 50, it was delicately embellished on a sheer tank top — a fine example of the kind of artisanship that Dior is heralded for.
And lest us forget that Jones is a stalwart believer in collaborations, the Dior Men summer 2023 saw the house collaborating with Mystery Ranch. If you’re somewhat outdoor-averse (including yours truly to some extent), the brand is known for creating backpacks for military, fire, hunting, and outdoor groups. In other words, the backpacks are meant to help one get through almost any situation out there in the wilderness.
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Look 21.Image: Dior Men. -
Look 27.Image: Dior Men. -
Look 23.Image: Dior Men. -
Look 31.Image: Dior Men. -
Look 40.Image: Dior Men. -
Look 50.Image: Dior Men.
For Dior Men summer 2023, Mystery Ranch helped refresh Dior Men classics the likes of the Saddle bag as well as rucksacks and belt bags, by adding on utilitarian furnishings (such as the aforementioned hood) to further their functionalities.
But perhaps the most eye-catching accessories in the line-up were the Dior Cannage-like hats that were worn over baseball caps. Milliner Stephen Jones created these pieces through 3D-printing and were designed to resemble the pergola in Christian Dior’s garden with the silhouette of the hat that Grant was always seen in. Nothing else to say but, simply stunning.
View the full Dior Men summer 2023 collection in the gallery below.