Dior’s menswear designer Kim Jones has once again followed in the footsteps of Christian Dior, the founder of the French fashion house of the same name, and let the stars guide him to Egypt. The presentation of the 2013 fall collection took place there on Sunday evening in Giza, near Cairo.
The show began after dark in front of the breathtaking desert backdrop with illuminated pyramids. From a distance, the models walked a lighted path until they reached the fixed runway in front of the audience. For the grand finale, Dior lit up the sky with a light show with blue spotlights pointing skywards.
“My interest in Ancient Egypt is the stars and the sky. It’s this fascination with the ancient world and the parallels to what we see today; what we inherited from them and what we are still learning from the past,” Jones said in a statement Sunday. According to Jones, Christian Dior was fascinated by symbols – including the star – and superstitions, which continued throughout his life. As such, the collection, as well as the show, is inspired by being guided by the stars, “and what that can mean in many ways”.
From Ancient Egypt to Outerspace
Jones draws on the environment and the colors of the sky for the color palette of the collection. It starts with desert tones – including beige, brown and white – which are followed by different shades of gray as a transition from day to night. In between, colored accents such as yellow and orange, reminiscent of the sun and stars, appear again and again. Finally, galaxy prints illuminate the color palette.
The inspirations of the collection are as diverse as the range of colors is wide. This ranges from Egypt’s past and the history of the 75-year-old fashion house to futuristic designs and space travel. Layered looks consisting of skirts with pleats, reminiscent of the time of the pharaohs, meet modern men’s clothing that ranges between classic tailoring with suits and streetwear with sporty elements, which is typical for Jones. There are also space helmets and heavy boots as well as technical elements, including a light breastplate, which together with long robes and outerwear such as windbreakers are reminiscent of the pilots and characters of the scifi classic Star Wars.
