A card greeted us on our seats at Dior Homme, a reproduction of a handwritten letter from Monsieur Christian Dior, which read: “Traditions have to be maintained so they can be passed on to future generations. In troubled times like ours, we must maintain these traditions which are our luxury and the flower of our civilization.” Kris Van Assche, for the second season running, looked to Monsieur himself to inform the collection.

While scouring the letters in the archives, he became interested in Monsieur Dior’s propensity to escape Paris to the seaside, spending time with prominent artists of the time. These three points became the main focuses for the collection: tradition, art, and the seaside. He opened with classic pinstripe tailoring that quickly hinted at the nautical with a toggle-fastened suit jacket — a classic ‘hybrid’ for Kris Van Assche.

Horizontal stripes were everywhere, from a subverted pinstripe suit to bold primary-palette color blocking, recalling the classic French Breton fisherman top. The prints were varied with free graphic lines, and multicolored scribbles covering everything from tailoring to jacquards, while the words of Monsieur himself were reproduced all over garments, creating a delicate repetitive artistic flourish. The denim was particularly noteworthy, in what is proving to be a great season for denim in Paris, with the printed lettering and artistic scribbles prints that are sure to make a big impact editorially. 

There was an overall calm and delicate feeling to the meeting of art and fashion in the collection, and the continued exploration of the life and character of Monsieur Dior is proving to be the perfect muse for Kris Van Assche’s Dior Homme.