Dior Couture house has always stood for glamour, elegance and luxury. Although Monsieur Christian Dior spent only 10 years designing and directing his brand, it was enough time for him to create history in fashion and present something glamorous, with his NewLook, after the dark days of the war.

Dior's legacy was masterful cuts and tailoring, celebrating the female form, exotic and historical influences and lastly theatrical presentation.

A Brief History

Christian Dior opened his own fashion house in 1947 while Paris was still under the Nazi occupation.

As a child, he had a passion for flowers, which influenced his work as a designer later in life.

He studied a political science course and then pursued his passion for arts. He then studied music composition that lead him to develop his personal tastes. This whole influence by art lead him to anonymously open an art gallery where he traded artwork for Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Max Jacob...

He worked as a designer for Lucien Lelong, then for Robert Piguet. He also worked alongside Pierre Balmain.

Dior's Influence on Fashion 

 World War 2  lead to fabric rationing. Fashion and outfit silhouettes for women reflexted that time of regression. French fashion lost its glamour and glory due to the war. Dior then presented a collection "New Look" which contrasted the austerity of the war years, giving back the femininity and elegance to the women.

The New Look silhouette presented the shape of an inverted flower; accentuated curves,  nipped in waist and a full skirt with lots and lots of fabric.

His designs later became less extreme, more gentle and wearable. 

Designers after Dior 

Dior died after 10 years of heading hos house and other designers took over.

Yves Saint Laurent (1957-1960)

Yves Saint Laurent wotked for Dior since 1955 and took over the creative role after his death. He introduced the "Trapez" line and his creations were prescient. He was called to the military service and had to leave the fashion house.

Marc Bohan (1961-1989)

Bohan was deeply respectful of Dior's and haute couture traditions. He launched "Miss Dior" ready-to-wear line in 1967, in addition to "Baby Dior" and "Dior Homme" fashion line. He provided a timeless elegance essential to the longevity of Dior.

Gianfranco Ferre (1989-1996)

He was Italian with a background in ready-to-wear,which is important since few women could afford haute couture. He stayed true to the New Look yet left his own mark with with exaggerated elements, flared sleeves and billowing skirts.

John Galliano (1996-2011)

His flamboyant feminine gowns were inspired by Dior's own love for the exaggerated female form. He even gave his own twist on Dior's beloved Belle Epoque.  Galliano created a truly remarkable variety of designs for the fashion house.

Bill Gaytten (2011-2012) 

Bill Gaytten worked alongside Galliano for 23 years,  he was only a temporary replacement. He wasn't treated very well by the fashion press. He used the New Look as a base for his designs as well as Galliano's style with the exaggerated silhouette.

Raf Simons (2012-2015)

Raf Simons recreated the simplicity of Dior's first collection.  He reconstructed the legacy of Dior, he brought energy to the label with precise cuts, use of brightly coloured materials and his inclination towards ergonomic shapes.

Maria Grazia Chiuri (2016-Present)

The first female creative director of Dior. Her moto is to create fashion that resembles the women of today, believing that clothes should answer the needs for being practical, aesthetic and political. Maria Grazia Chiuri took the brand from being 'feminine' to becoming 'feminist'.

Miss Dior and Lady Dior

There is a story behind these two famous names. The fragrance "Miss Dior" was inspired by Dior's love for flowers and his favourite sister Catherine, they were discussing names for the perfume when his sister walked into the room and someone said 'Look there's Miss Dior', so that's how they came up with the name.

The "Lady Dior" bag was named after Princess Diana because she used this style so much. Originally it was called "Chouchou" then "Princess".

 Happy New Year! So to I'm writing about some of the important fashion news that occurred through the first month of this year. January is usually quit and slow, but now that it's over, let's welcome the upcoming month in anticipation for a new fresh season.

1. Chanel's New Clean Beauty Line 'No.1 De Chanel' :

Chanel has launched a new beauty line 'No.1 De Chanel' which harnesses the benefits of the red camellia, a very important flower to the brand. The new product line has a holistic and an environmentally conscious approach, as the formula contains up to 97% of naturally derived ingredients and 76% of camellia ingredients. 

The French label also designed the beauty line to minimize the impact on the environment through its packaging.

2. Selfridges Steps into The Metaverse with 'Over The Counter' NFTs:

Selfridges steps into the metaverse as they announce selling of NFTs in their physical stores. The British department store chain says it is the first retailer in the world to sell fixed-price NFTs over the counter.

The NFTs will feature either artwork by OP art movement pioneer, Victor Vasarely or one of the first 12 iconic dresses ever created by Paco Rabanne called the "Unwearables".

The company will sell over 1800 NFTs at its London store's corner shop.

3. Valentino Launches Lunar New Year Collection:

Italian fashion house 'Valentino' is celebrating the Lunar New Year with a Valentino Tiger 1967 collection featuring ready-to-wear and accessories. 

As part of its Lunar New Year celebrations, the tiger motif has been reinterpreted on a selection of contemporary looks.

4. Maison Margiela x Reebok:

Both brands collaborated to launch the classic Leather Tabi Decortique low, which is a reinterpreted sneaker of Reebok's classic leather runner mixed with Maison Margiela's technique of decortique. This technique was developed by creative director John Galliano which describes the deconstruction of a garment or accessory to its core structure.

The low-top trainer will be available in tonal black, white and red leather as well as Maison Margiela's signature "bianchetto" technique which purposely chips with wear.

5. H&M Launches Virtual Fashion Collection in Collaboration with Dress-X:

H&M set to explore the virtual fashion world with the launch of a digital collection to release through a competition. The competition will be launched through H&M official website, where customers have the chance to win an exclusive look from the range. The virtual fashion collection was created with digital and virtual clothing platform, Dress-X.
In keeping with the brand's sustainability goals, the looks from the collection will be only available as a prize for the competition, they won't be sold nor manufactured.

6. Louis Vuitton Presented The Final Collection by Virgil Abloh:

Louis Vuitton presented the final collection directed by Virgil Abloh before his death later last year. The show was emotional to many people. The collection was 95% ready at the time of Abloh's death.

7. Hermès Calls for Removal of MetaBirkins from NFT Platforms:

Hermès is suing the NFT creator Mason Rothschild, who has seen viral success marketing a line of digital assets he calls “MetaBirkins.”

 Mason Rothschild created over 100 individual Birkin inspired NFTs, however the bags are not created by Hermes nor are real.

After the bags were for sale on OpenSea with a trading value of 1.1 million dollars, they were removed, since they infringed Hermes trademark, the design were neither licensed nor endorsed.

However, once an NFT is created, the entry can't be erased from the blockchain.

8. The Death of Thierry Mugler and Andre Leon:

  January brought another sad news for the industry with the death of 2 major influential names. 

  Thierry Mugler was a French fashion designer, known for his metamorphic silhouettes and avant-garde fashion. His brand was very influential in 1980s and 1990s.

  Andre Leon Tally was a fashion Journalist who worked at American Vogue for years.

9.Barbie x Balmain Clothing Collection and NFT Auction:

The duo have released a ready-to-wear collection of Barbie x Balmain-branded apparel and accessories, rendered almost exclusively in shades of pink.

The French maison is ushering Barbie into the metaverse with a partnership that straddles the physical and digital world.

Barbie manufacturer Mattel launched an NFT auction offering up three unique Barbie avatars clad in digital renditions of the physical collection. Highest bidders will also receive a physical set of doll-sized Balmain clothing.

 Welcome to the last fashion report of 2021, and here's to many more. This month is full with new collaborations and news 3

and the main news that I most frequently came across is fashion brands putting their foot in the metaverse with their NFT collections and others collaborating with gaming apps. Clearly this a next step for fashion brands of all levels.

1. Prada x AspenX Ski Collection:

Premium retailer AspenX revealed a collaboration with luxury label Prada in the form of a limited- edition collection of ski performance-wear inspired by the "creative culture of Aspen".

The collection is eco-sustainable capsule made with sustainable technologies.

2. Ralph Lauren x Roblox:

Ralph Lauren partnered with digital platform Roblox to launch "The Ralph Lauren Winter Escape".

The holiday-themed experience will allow fashion fans to explore the world of Ralph Lauren through the metaverse.

3.Zara Introduces High-End Line "Zara Atelier":

Zara is launching a high-end line that has its own dedicated design team and will consist of 2 limited-edition collections per year. The collection will offer elevated, artistic interpretation of an iconic wardrobe staple.

4. Valentino Joins the Gaming Trend with Drest:

Valentino had partnered with luxury fashion game "Drest", bringing Valentino's newest party collection to the gaming world. The game is a fashion styling game that allows users to create designs and moodboards. The Valentino Party Collection is available to purchase bot virtually and in real life.

Other brands like Gucci and Cartier have also recently partnered with Drest.

5. Forever 21 Partners with Roblox:

Forever 21 has partnered with Roblox on a digital experience called the the Forever 21 Shop City where users can build and own their own stores within the game and items will be available for purchase.

6. Gucci x The North Face Part 2:

Gucci and The North Face are back after their 2020's collaboration. The 2nd collection has a massive selection of co-branded trek gear, luxury loungewear and retro sportswear.  The collection ranges from 550$ to 4500$ available now.

7. Tommy Hilfiger Partners with Roblox:

Premium fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger has revealed a virtual collection including 30 digital fashion pieces that players can use on their avatars.

8. Karl Lagerfeld, Adidas, BoohoMan launch NFT Collections:

• Karl Lagerfeld has announced the launch of 2 NFT collectibles. 500 figurines called KLxEndless will be released  & KL7xEndless which is available in 7 editions only.

• Adidas steps into the metaverse with the launch of its first NFT drop of digital and physical products. The brand earned $23.5 million by selling 30,000 if their NFT within matters of hours.

• BohooMan is launching also their NFT collection after their augmented reality campaign last month.

 With many collaborations happening this monthly, the main event that was mostly talked about this month was the passing away of a very loved Creative Director Virgil Abloh, the news that devastated the fashion industry. 

1. Smart Textiles: Generating Electricity from Body Movement:

2. Stella McCartney 'The Beatles' Capsule Collection :

Stella McCartney announced a new line of clothing inspired by The Beatles, evolving the legacy of her father Paul McCartney,  a Beatle member. This collection is directly connected to the release of "The Beatles: Get Back" documentary.

3. Missoni x Supreme:

Missoni, known for its innovative  knitwear, are partnering with the street wear brand Supreme. The collection includes Missoni's signature knit patterns made on jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts..

4. Saint Laurent x K-Way Bomber jacket:

Saint Laurent launched a collaboration with the outdoor brand K-Way. Saint Laurent's creative director worked with K-Way to reinterpret the bomber jacket with tiger print and graphic touches. Sold for around 800$ on Saint Laurent website.

5. Supreme x Tiffany &Co.:

 

Supreme and Tiffany & Co. announced the release of a jewelry collection titled "Return to Tiffany". The collection goes in line with the new direction that Tiffany & Co. has taken since aquired by LVMH.

6. Frame Introduces Biodegradable Denim:

 

Frame Introduced jeans that are made of material that is 100% biodegradable and doesn't leave behind harmful substances. The jeans are also interfaced with sustainable QR codes that provide customers with environmental impact report.  The brand is clearly taking a step to decrease their carbon footprint and emphasising transparency.

7. Stefan Cooke Creates The Sims' Virtual Collection:

With the fashion industry entering the metaverse, digital fashion is now dominated by luxury  brands luxury brands (Balenciaga for Fortnite, Gucci for Xbox...).

Stefan Cooke designed a 4.99$ collection for The Sims that enable players to purchase 23 pieces. Entering the metaverse is the next step for fashion. Players from all over the world will spend over 100$ billion on virtual goods.

8. The Passing of Virgil Abloh:

Founder of Off-White and Louis Vuitton men's designer passed away on November 28, 2021 due to a rare case of cancer. The industry was devastated by the news.

Virgil was a pioneer in bringing streetwear aesthetics to luxury.

 Happy Halloween everyone, so October has been a month filled with fashion news and I'm going to fill you in on some of the most interesting ones.

Hermès Bounces Back as if the Pandemic Never Happened: 

Mega brands are seen bouncing back from the pandemic even stronger. After a bad year due to the pandemic, Hermès sales bounce back, with their timeless positioning, their heritage and tradition. Hermès was ranked as one of the largest and most resilient players in the industry.

Editorial Photography for SACLÀB official designer handbags.

Cartier Exhibition at Musée des Arts Decoratifs:

The Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris is opening a new exhibition (happening until Feb. 20) titled "Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity". 

The exhibition shows the influence of Islamic art on its designs since the beginning of the 20th century until this day. The exhibition will include pieces from Cartier, drawings, books, photographs and documents.

CHRISTOPHE DELLIÈRES/COURTESY OF MUSÉE DES ARTS DÉCORATIFS

Farfetch launches its Own  Label "There Was One":

Farfetch lately launched its own conscious private label "There Was One". It is a women's wear line consisting of 69 styles which are now available on their website. The collection is "Planet Conscious". Items are made from a percentage of organic materials and up cycled/recycled yarn.

Pandora "Animal Crossing" Island Video Game:

Pandora launched an island in "Animal Crossing :New Horizons", which is a video game to promote its new Pandora collection. Pandora’s themed island allows visitors to snag a range of custom clothing items inspired by the new jewelry range. You can also visit the new Pandora Factory, designed to match its Chiang Mai production facility.

Michael Kors Collaborates with 007 Film Franchise:

Michael Michael Kors are continuing their collaboration with the 007 film franchise to celebrate the launch of the new James Bond movie. They are launching an 11 piece capsule collection of co-branded products.

The collection is inspired by the glamour and the adventure, featuring a sleek black and metallic color palette.

 

Tommy Hilfiger x Timberland:

The new collaboration between Tommy Hilfiger and Timberland promotes better materials, low-waste designs and a transparent partnership. The two brands are teaming up on 2 capsule collections and are sharing their learnings on sustainability.

 September is a very important month in fashion. It acts as a seasonal reset, it marks the end of Spring/Summer and the transition into Fall/Winter fashion. It is the month of fashion week in New York, London, Paris and Milan.

1."Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams" Exhibition:

After 2 years of lockdown, Brooklyn Museum in New York unveiled a major Dior exhibition; "Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams". The exhibition includes a vast array of over 200 haute couture gowns, photographs, sketches, vintage perfumes..

2."A Lexicon of Fashion"– the 2021 Met Gala theme:

Also, the Metropolitan Museum of Arts opens its fall show: In America: A Lexicon of Fashion – the 2021 Met Gala theme. The exhibit will be a homage to young and emerging American designers; those who are interacting with ideas around identity, self and power.

2.A First in Fashion "Fendace":

Fendi and Versace have teamed up for a design experiment, introducing Fendace aka Fendi by Versace or Versace by Fendi."Luxury collaborating with itself".

So for the first time in fashion, the artistic director of the brands design at other houses and the show the results on the runway. It's not a collaboration nor a competition, it's like collections for shows are created by a different guest designer.

4.September Fashion Weeks:

With NY, London and Milan fashion week done, now is the turn for Paris fashion week for Spring/Summer 2022 Collections. Life is returning to the runway  after 2 seasons of virtual shows due to the pandemic. Most shows took place outdoors and all guest and participants must be vaccinated. 

Some designers have mixed feelings about the situation and some didn't present runway shows this year.

5.Balanciaga x Fortnite:

Balanciaga teamed up with the famous video game "Fortnite" to create virtual clothes, accessories and a destination. In addition to a physical line of products. The collection will be marketed on billboards and in the game itself.

6. Fashion Group "Kering" is Going Fur Free:

This week, French luxury conglomerate "Kering" made a commitment to go entirely fur-free. They will ban this material across all of its labels (Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, ...) in an effort to build a more sustainable fashion industry. 

"Fur has no place in luxury" Kering's CEO announced.

* Photos are not mine. They are sourced from various sites.