Dior's Spring/Summer 2021 Show Was A Divine Affair With A Stellar Front Row To Match
Always one of the most eagerly awaited shows of fashion month, Dior opened Paris Fashion Week yesterday with a touch of the divine — the cathedral-inspired catwalk, set amidst a vast tent in the Jardin des Tuileries, was gently illuminated by soaring stained glass windows in the form of kaleidoscopic lightbox installations by avant-garde artist Lucia Marcucci, while models strolled serenely between socially distanced pews to the otherworldly harmonies of an acapella ensemble.
Referencing the female (and feminist) poets, authors and intellectuals who worked within the intimacy of a home environment (sound familiar?), such as Virginia Woolf and Susan Sontag, Maria Grazia Chiuri imbued Dior’s Spring/Summer 2021 collection with a palpably relaxed sensibility. The iconic, wasp-waisted Bar silhouette was reimagined as a soft, kimono-style jacket, while the simple white shirt was transformed into fluid tunics layered over loose trousers, and diaphanous chiffon dresses adapted Chiuri’s preferred peplos shape. Breezy patterns like paisley, polychromatic stripes and tie-dye, along with Roman sandals and turbans, accentuated the laidback, luxe bohemian feel of the lineup.
A stunning sight to behold in and of itself, Dior’s Spring/Summer 2021 show was made even more memorable with a star-studded front row, where celebrities attended the spectacle in-person as well as online in a pandemic-appropriate phygital experience.
Blackpink’s Jisoo upped the star wattage in a major way with a takeover of the Maison’s Instagram Stories (from her living room in Korea), sharing her thoughts on the “strength hidden behind elegance” in Chiuri’s designs, her favourite looks from the collection, and her chosen #OOTS (outfit of the show) — the K-pop idol donned a floor-length, striped dress from the Cruise 2021 season and an embroidered Lady D-Lite top-handle, before changing into a white J’Adior 8 t-shirt, matching jeans, J’Adior monochrome slingback pumps and resin pearl Dior Tribales earrings.
Other famous faces in the frow included Maisie Williams, Natalia Dyer, Yuko Araki, Christine and the Queens, Kate Mara, Jeanne Damas, Cocomi Kimura, Natalia Vodianova and more. Scroll through the gallery below to see who turned up and what they wore.
