Take a moment to marvel at the Pre-Fall Dior highlights...
First it was Chanel in Austria, then it was Valentino in New York and now it’s Dior in Tokyo. Last night Raf Simons, Artistic Creative Director of Christian Dior showed his space-age Pre-Fall collection at Ryōgoku Kokugikan, a sumo wrestling arena seating 1,400 Dior-clad spectators.
And for the first show outside the traditional Parisian venue, it was the major fashion moment we’d all hoped for. From the street style-ready boots to the must-see Star Wars braids, here’s the highlights from the truly speculator show…
The Clothes It probably comes as no surprise that the show was inspired by it’s venue, but traditional Japanese costume wasn’t the intention of the thematic trip. “Tokyo is a place that has been and is so constantly inspiring to me,” says Raf Simons. “Particularly in terms of the liberty people take for themselves in how they dress, there is nowhere else like it; the freedom of styles, the new architecture of clothing that you can see forming in the street as well as in city’s fashion design history... It’s a place that is both extreme and exhilarating.”
Inspirations aside, let’s talk about the high-neck sequin jumpers layered over flared off-the-shoulder dresses… We’ll be stealing this genius styling idea from here on in.
The Accessories The iconic Lady Dior bag became part of Simons’ subverted East meets West vibe. Blown up to giant proportions or made tiny and more decorative with thick straps, this classic takes on a whole new meaning for Pre-Fall. And then of course there were the next-level boots. Expect to see every major fashion editor and street style starlet rocking them come Fashion Week.
The Hair Simons clearly got the memo that plaits are THE way to wear hair right now - cue pigtail plaits lopped behind the ears. Hairstylist Guido Palau’s didn't look to a Japanese stage for visual clues, but instead the big screen, using Star Wars and Princess Leia as the jumping-off points. In lieu of buns, it was super-cute coiled braids. We predict to see them on Alexa any day now…
The Make-Up Can we just take a minute to appreciate the eye make-up? Looking to traditional Kabuki make-up (the elaborate looks seen in Japanese theatre), make-up artist Peter Philips applied jumbo-sized glitter to the center of the upper eyelid for a flash of light. The shimmery particles combined with classic kohl not only lent a Manga feel but also perfectly complemented the shimmering turtlenecks. Love.
The Frow Loyal fans weren’t deterred by the long flight - this is Dior after all. Hailee Steinfeld and Hanneli Mustaparta led the stylish pack, along with Susie Lau, Caroline Issa and Audrey Tautou.
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