ORIGIN STORY
Written By: Khansaa Houlbi
For FW24 Maria Grazia Chiuri goes back to the future, when Ready-To-Wear was born as a free and abundant way of dressing...
In 1960s, Paris was a vibrant cultural hub, characterized by its avant-garde art scene, iconic fashion, and a fervent atmosphere of social and political change. As a free and spontaneous spirit swept over the city, there became a need for more relaxed attire- a bohemian wardrobe to match the off-the-cuff mood. Responding the call in 1967, Dior introduced its first ready-to-wear collection offering an alternative to Paris’ Haute Couture ateliers.
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A new chapter for the Maison, the concept was in line with couturier and founder Christian Dior’s vision to dress all women. “I wanted a woman to be able to leave the boutique dressed by it from heat to foot, even carrying a present in her hand,” Christian Dior once stated. Through the ready-to-wear line, entitled Miss Dior, this dream became a reality but sadly, the late Christian Dior was not present to see it.
Miss Dior was entrusted to Philippe Guibourgé, assistant to Marc Bohan, who was the Artistic Director at the time. Guibourgé created shorter cuts in colorful fabrics with embroidered details, and laid-back silhouettes sprinkled with embellishments such as beads and sequins. Fresh, fun, and fabulous, the pieces expressed the youthfulness of the era, revealing another dimension to Dior’s style. After launching in Paris, Miss Dior traveled the globe, with the collection introduced in overseas outlets- it was a ready-to-wear revolution.
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For Fall-Winter 2024, Maria Grazia Chiuri was inspired by the moment that fashion left the atelier to conquer the world. Returning to the transitional era of the late 1960s, Maria Grazia Chiuri has revived Guibourgé’s short coats, pleated skirts, and shift dresses, adding a contemporary edge as fresh as a spritz of Miss Dior Chèrie. The Fall-Winter 2024 ready-t0-wear collection reimagined the Miss Dior logo as a bold statement sprayed across looks in graffiti-style in shades of blue, red, and brown. Silhouettes are free and flowing, or short and daring courtesy of skirts cut above the knee, stockings peeping beneath oversized blazers, and sheer detailing. Beads have been replaced by studs that punctuate trench coats, link-up like chainmail, and decorate collars.
A fabulous fusion of past and present, a celebration of feminity and freedom, and a whimsical tribute to the power fashion holds, the collection pays homage to 1960s’ new way of dressing. By returning to the shapes and materials that were first introduced at the Miss Dior boutique, Maria Grazia Chiuri reminds us of the significance of ready-to-wear and of its place in Dior’s history- her Miss Dior manifesto-signature is printed for all to see.
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