Fashion has never looked so glamorously grim.
Filmed in the Palace of Versailles' Hall of Mirrors, Dior’s Fall/Winter 21 production reads like a twisted fairytale. A combination of Dior’s opulence and a series of mystifying storylines transforms into a dreamlike nightmare. Eluding time and space, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri opened a portal that brought the past and future together.
Titled "Disturbing Beauty," Dior’s collection makes subtle references to childhood fables through each look, featuring a dress fit for the Queen of Hearts and a pair of Dorothy’s ruby pumps from Oz. Schoolgirl-style dresses overshadowed innocence with danger in the designer’s gothic twist, and men’s military jackets explored femininity. Inspired by Dior’s new ambassador, Blackpink’s Jisoo, the show offered a victorian edge to modernity as the delicately-playful looks were accessorized with '60s headscarves, tulle, lace and leather.
See also: See Givenchy's Fall/Winter 2021 Collection
Diving deeper into the world of Grimm, Carroll, Perrault and others, the location of the show provided an alternate message. Alluding to the furtive nature of the beautiful princesses and the vain countenance of fairytale villains, the mirrors in Versailles were covered and embedded with thorns. Dealing with a fine line between narcissism and humility, concepts familiar in the storylines of Snow White, Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid, the show illustrated the complicated relationship between ourselves and our self-image.
In this artistic take on our views of beauty, Chiuri encourages the audience to maintain a balance between the two extremes.
“You’re talking to a woman who has no mirrors in her house," Chiuri is quoted in Vogue. "I probably have one mirror, and it’s behind my bathroom door ... Can you imagine me taking a picture of myself in the mirror? Impossible! It’s not something that’s on my mind. I prefer something more simple and real. But I’m probably a different generation.”
"If you want to build your identity, don’t look yourself in the mirror," she continues. "If you want to concentrate, you can’t look at your reflection.”
Whether you have a mirror or not, we can totally see ourselves in this macabre fantasty. See the full Dior Fall/Winter 21 fairytale production below.
Read more about Dior’s magical Fall/Winter Ready-to-Wear Collection via Vogue.
Photography by: YouTube video
