Dior Haute Couture AW22 review

Wave goodbye to Cottagecore and say hello to Cottage-couture. Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri once again concocted an ethereal moment for her latest Dior haute couture collection, which boasted look after look of masterfully created and intricately embellished gowns for AW22. Descending down the runway in her signature whimsy, today’s Dior woman as at home on the catwalk as she would be emerging from the pages of a storybook.

Inspiration, however, didn’t come from the historic house’s storied past of fancy French finery or the high societal customers of yesteryear. Instead, Grazia Chiuri looked to Ukrainian artist Olesia Trofymenko for a source of creative vision. In particular, ‘the tree of life’, a symbol commonly depicted by the artist, and the focal point of today’s collection. ‘The tree of life connects all forms of creation; it supports the sky and connects it to the earth through its branches and roots. Olesia Trofymenko’s emblem is in line with stylistic codes shared by many lands,’ the show notes read.

The result? A breathtakingly beautiful display of delicate delights. Beginning with an army of muted hues, there was eye-watering attention to detail via decadent embroidery, elegant lacework and intricate beading, only made possible by the atelier’s many talented petites mains. Silhouettes were reminiscent of a prairie girl panache, perfectly pretty with billowing sleeves and bib collars under pinafores and smocks.

Later, an eruption of tartan pieces descended the runway with china-white Lesage embroidery decorating the hems of skirts and jackets. More delectable shades were sent out juxtaposing the creamy earth tones. Lime green, blood red and cobalt blue added a warm depth to the colour palette while metallic and translucent materials further lent to the collection’s magical allure through ephemeral, water-like movements.

Coats – be they trench, cape or cropped – became a centrepiece of the collection. Panelled embroideries imbued medieval glamour, pearl embellishments roused a regal vim, and floral patterns called to a garden of earthly delights. The Bar jacket, a key component of Christian Dior’s post-war ‘New Look’, also made a return, updated with Grazia Chiuri’s quintessential craftmanship.

It was a testament to Grazia Chiuri’s dedication to fashion as an art form. Gowns served as canvases for the designer’s most evocative dreams of hand-crafted masterpieces. As the show notes continued, ‘This is a matter of shaping materials and forms in the space of reflection that the Atelier represents, permeable to the social reality in which we live; a matter of recalling what it means to be human today. Gestures passed on, learned and always perfectible, are repeated. The tree of life is a call, a warning, to make traditions and gestures shine through, allowing us to recover a balance, if only momentarily.’