Dior AW24: a trip down Miss Dior memory lane

Read all about Maria Grazia Chiuri's vision for the season ahead

dior aw24
(Image credit: © LAURA SCIACOVELLI © SHAKUNTALA KULKARNI)

Maria Grazia Chiuri excels at telling the Christian Dior story in original ways and the autumn/winter 24 was no exception.

She looked to the 60s for inspiration, more specifically the birth of Miss Dior in 1967, a ready-to-wear collection which brought fashion to the masses. In the late 60s, Creative Director Marc Bohan and his assistant Philippe Guibourgé (who later went on to introduce Chanel's first RTW collection) dreamed up designs that would change the way women dresssed forever.

They wanted to create clothes that could be easily reproduced and to illustrate “the dynamic context of an increasingly complex and ever-changing society, there was a shift from the landscape of the body to that of the globe“.

Today, Maria Grazia Chiuri follows in those footsteps, with a winter collection that is an ode to first Miss Dior boutique in Paris, which made women feel independent and powerful, whether they were dressing for a day in the office or an evening out. She also looks to Gabriella Crespi, Bohan's muse and the epitome of the woman making a name for herself, a theme we've seen in many of Chiuri's collections.

This is interpreted quite literally on many of the looks, with the 'Miss Dior' logo emblazoned on mini skirta (another 60s symbol) and trench coats. Figuratively, in the free-flowing silhouettes of the beaded flapper-style dresses and silk gowns.

There was that hint of late 60s rebellion in the leopard print pieces, tailored denim, berets and riding boots. The colour palette of white, orange, pink and neon green echoes that of Marc Bohan's original designs, with more muted shades of beige and cream to link the looks together.

As always Chiuri has collaborated with a female artists to create the set for the show. Models walked around a circular stage dotted with cane sculptures by Indian artist Shakuntala Kulkarni. The installation is part of her series “of bodies, armour and cages“, which explores the female body and its relationship to different spaces.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.