SimplyAbuDhabi XII

2 4 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I I t’s difficult to look at Dior’s latest collection and not reminisce about Men in Black. And by design. This season is all about sharp, slim tailoring with an edge of the space age. Kris Van Assche was keen to emphasise backstage at the launch show that this was about the athletic rather than the skinny template of his predecessor Hedi Slimane, with some distinct influence from the 1997 film ‘Gattaca’ thrown in. In practice, that has translated to a runway filled with pared-down, clean, minimalist suits; crisp and belted. Functional is the bold aim and at points it veers close to a uniform, so clinical is the execution. Silhouettes are stripped down to their purest technical form. It’s typical of Van Assche. Very often minimalist in his approach, his designs are characterized by an obsessive attention to details and faithfulness to a black, grey, blue and chocolate palette. Subtle, but essential details nod to the Belgian designer’s different influences within his very distinctive handiwork. The Amish, North Africa silhouettes, sailors and workwear have all variously been used to influence detailing over different collections. His classic, muted designs recall a bygone era, and yet they are strikingly modern all the same – they take in neat, precise tailoring with a subtly avant-garde edge. The collection was staged rather than introduced. At the Garde Republicaine horse-riding ring, a classical glass and metal edifice in Paris, a blinding white, immaculate space spoke of an anonymous time in the near future. A world of hygienic beauty. The visual contrast was striking. Then a third element was introduced: NewWave music from the 1980s. Models stepped out briskly to the beat of the electronic music and the audience fell hushed. It was about technical fabrics cleverly combined, belted waists and controlled outlines. Blacks are inky; whites are dazzling. A single necktie line adds a graphic element. Cuts narrow athletically at the waist. The man that the design team envisage for Dior Homme will stride comfortably about a chaotic futuristic world: confident, strict, ultra clean and flawless. The colours are all stark – black, white and dark blue. Reactions to the limited palette have been mixed, with some raving about the courageous choice and the haters screwing their noses up at the ‘Walmart cheap’ look of the buckles on coats and blazers. We think it’s brave and brilliant. The epitome of minimalismwith no flourishes to distract the eye from the flawless, binding tailoring or beautiful fabrics. The buckles are the only concession to accessories, keeping the look even slicker. At points the collection does sail very close to the sci-fi wind but this is the catwalk. It’s supposed to be theatrical. Shoes are translucent, fashioned of plastic and cover the sole and heel as if a bubble protecting the foot from harm. Neoprene and technical canvas add a moulded, armour-like structure to the jackets which zip protectively up to the collar. There is one enigmatic symbol: the triangle contained within a circle. It’s on jumpers and jackets and in various colours. The future is now.