FRENCH fashion house, Christian Dior presented its haute couture looks for Autumn/Winter 2015 at the Musée Rodin, Paris, earlier this month. The haute couture collection saw the brand’s artistic director Raf Simons’ contemporary reinterpretation of the signature styles of the brand, taking cues from the past and transforming historical aspects into looks that are relevant in the modern world.

While presenting the collection, Simons said: “I wanted that feeling of the sensuous and luxurious to be implicit within the collection. The historical impact is pulled back into reality and this, for me, is what makes something modern”. Emphasis is placed on maintaining elements of luxury and decadence that are pivotal to this form of fashion while drawing a parallel with innocence and purity. 

For the collection, Simons drew inspiration from the Old Masters of Flemish painting and artisanal masters of haute couture, all of which are significantly attributed to his Antwerp background. He envisions a sensual Dior garden and makes references to The Garden of Earthly Delights painting by Hieronymous Bosch — from the hand painted, colour-speckled panels that made up the structure of the venue to the similar motifs on the green, white and black silk faille coat as well as the embroidered pastel silk organza dresses that form the collection.

The venue itself was transformed into a unique space inspired by a Pointillist church with colourful slates that resemble stained glass, keeping with the theme of its collection. This season’s designs see the brand delving into history and amalgamating the ancient and the current to create elegant haute couture pieces.

  Generous pleating and drapery feature prominently in the full skirts of the black silk taffetas coat, printed pastel silk faille coat, pleated silk crepe and green cashmere coat. The looks that form this collection also represent an expression of the unique savoir faire of the petite mains in the Dior ateliers as seen in the intricate cut feathers that adorn some of the dresses. Chiffon dresses of varying lengths are styled with elaborate jewellery gilets in the form of metallic chain-linked vests either worn over or under the dresses. The collection also explores the dramatic shapes that are synonymous to haute couture fashion like the pêle mêle coats, wide triangular sleeves as well as coats with a single fur sleeve. The overall palette is diverse — a combination of bold contrasts, pastel colours and multi-hued pieces. 

This time around, Christian Dior showcases a play between the grandeur of haute couture and the wearability aspect of the pieces. The Autumn/Winter 2015/16 haute couture collection seamlessly transcends ideas from the past — like mantels from the late Middle Ages and the gowns of Belle Époque — through an interpretation in present times, resulting in modern creations with a historical touch.

This article first appeared in digitaledge Daily, on August 11, 2015.