While the Miss Dior line, which launched in 1967 and marked the luxury brand's foray from made-to-measure to ready-to-wear, is the inspiration for Maria Grazia Chiuri's Fall 2024 Dior collection, it's the more subtle references to the Space Age that were a highlight at the runway show presented during Paris Fashion Week.
Alongside Miss Dior logos boldly emblazoned on skirts, trench coats, and blazers that will no doubt appeal to the more youthful customer — much like the diffusion line by Marc Bohan's assistant Philippe Guibourgé 50-plus years ago — more traditional hallmarks of late '60s fashion appeared on the runway: go-go boots, mini skirts, metallic colorways, plaid, and leopard print.
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Rather than a purely literal interpretation of fashion from the decade the space race unfolded — in place of retro-futuristic helmets, there were fedora hats, leather berets, and newsboy hats; in lieu of geometric paillettes, intricate beading — Dior looked at the "transitional era" that saw the sexual revolution and women's liberation movement.
On Dior's fall 2024 runway, this resulted in denim sets that appeared relaxed even in the context of the French luxury house's more modern-leaning collections, sheer tops that revealed lingerie (and even one look featuring a bra worn over a turtleneck), and menswear-inspired suiting that wouldn't look out of place during today's loosened workwear dress codes.
For those who prefer Dior of the more recent years, there were knee-high boots that revealed gladiator sandal-like buckle open backs as models walked past the life-size sculptures made by Indian artist Shakuntala Kulkarni. There were also new iterations of the ever-popular Lady Dior handbags and Sac Dior Book totes, and effortlessly feminine outerwear.
Of course, as expected from a brand that made a name for itself thanks to its haute couture before it entered ready-to-wear, there was a range of dresses with intricate beading and shift gowns that recalled the fashion of Catherine Deneuve in the '60s.
Miss Dior is back but she's all grown up.
See every look from the Dior Fall 2024 runway show here.