Esprit de changement
Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2017
Esprit de changement was the first look in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first Haute Couture fashion show, which was presented on 23 January 2017. Choosing this look to open the show was a powerful move.
Indeed Esprit de changement was a direct reference to the iconic Bar suit from Christian Dior’s very first collection in 1947, which revolutionised fashion at the time.
Here Maria Grazia Chiuri reinterpreted the fitted Bar jacket with hip-accentuating basques (peplum), complemented by a hood. The skirt, on the other hand, is just an effect: it is in fact a pair of wide pleated pants in a “tuxedo-like spirit.”
The spirit of the House endured through the presentation of several Bar suits and jackets with evocative names, such as Rêve infini, Voyage de l’âme or Double rêve, all quite literally direct quotes of the House’s iconic garment, both in terms of cut and colors.
“Memory becomes the driving force behind a new story that turns the House’s sampler on its head to then transpose it into shapes and cuts that reflect the silhouettes, the dreams and desires of today’s women.”
Indeed, in order to fulfill the wishes of the women of today, the lines were simplified, the heels almost disappeared, the make-up and hairstyles became lighter, while still embodying the elegance of the House of Dior.
© Laziz Hamani ; © Association Willy Maywald/ADAGP, Paris 2022
