The designer looked both to actress Marlene Dietrich and the city of New York, sprinkling influences of both throughout the range the house put on the runway in the Big Apple, the first time in years the French fashion house has presented in the US city.
Dior has a long-standing connection with New York, Christian Dior establishing a store there in 1948, just a year after opening his Parisian maison.
While the pre-fall collection, which hits stores soon, was previously unveiled in December, Dior’s Brooklyn Museum runway was about elevating the relationship between the brand’s home city and the sparkling metropolis of New York.
The chic, gender-bending style of German-American actress Marlene Dietrich, that made waves 30s and 40s, was apparent in the mix of masculine tailoring and feminine glamour. Dietrich, said to have been a friend of Christian Dior and was a fan of the house, made wearing an evening tuxedo or white shirt and slacks, just as appealing as a slinky gown when hitting the town.
Hair lacquered into Dietrich-style waves, models walked the runway in a desirable mix of suiting, white shirts (complete with ties), waistcoats and pleat-front pants and more jazzy fringed evening dresses.
The play off between the two countries was also clearly visible. Not only where there nods to the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, but more classic Americana emblems like the stars and stripes, varsity jackets, and heavy-duty denim.
As usual for the top fashion house, the front row was studded with celebrities, including Anya Taylor-Joy, Michelle Williams, Naomi Watts, Rosamund Pike and Charlize Theron.
