The 1940s chronicles defined Christian Dior as the most superstitious man in the world. The stylist performed superstitious rituals before each show and never forgot to bring a lucky charm with him. But above all, he consulted the tarot cards to find out the fate of his new collections. All this strongly influenced the life and creations of the couturier. And today, the symbols of the Tarot are back to inspire the world of Dior. They are the protagonists of the Haute Couture Spring / Summer 2021 collection created by Maria Grazia Chiuri.
“In times of uncertainty, just like those that Monsieur Dior experienced during the war, any reference to auspicious magic conveys security. I do not believe that the Tarot is diviner but simply that the major and minor Arcana encounter helps to analyze one’s thoughts and allows you to make choices. Today we have the feeling of being locked up in this “new dimension”, and resorting to the Tarot can be a road that tells you: “go ahead”» says Chiuri in the now traditional meeting via Zoom that precedes most of the fashion shows in this period absence of physicality.
And so once again, the designer gives us the dream, a special oneiric dimension, from which you would never want to return. Leading us to this magical place, where majestic and precious fabric creations enchant and hypnotize is, for the second consecutive season, Matteo Garrone. The director also talked about Dior’s Fall / Winter 2020 Haute Couture collection. The new short film is titled Le Châteu du Tarot and is 10 minutes of pure fairytale filmed in the castle of Sammezzano near Florence.
And look at the first scene to want to enter this fairy world. Escorted by the splendid protagonist, Agnese Claisse, hers is a journey to rediscover herself. Here you will encounter all the personified tarot symbols and, of course, dressed in sumptuous Dior Haute Couture creations. There are no quotes or image remakes. The clothes represent the characters of the cards they dress.
But let’s get into the looks. The silhouettes of the extraordinary evening dresses become abstract montages. In some, the bodice is a sort of perforated bas-relief, embellished with the Roman artist Pietro Ruffo‘s drawings. Dior gray is declined on tweed, cashmere, and organza. The pants are high-waisted, ankle-length. Alongside the silhouettes with a wide skirt, the empire line returns to take us back to the distant past. Many jacquard processes embellish dresses, jackets, and skirts. There is no shortage of puff sleeve shirts for a romantic touch to dresses and suits. Do not miss the great classic of the new Dior: Bar Jacket and see-through skirt.
This collection and its representation sign another chapter in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s action and mission as Dior’s artistic director and as a thinker of contemporary fashion.
