The Dior Summer 2019 Men’s Capsule collection is for the modern gentleman who has a penchant for freedom and fun, with a dynamic dash of irony.
Let’s put the capsule collection into perspective: when the rumours surrounding Kris Van Assche bidding farewell to Dior Men after 11 years at the helm were confirmed, fans of the brand were fast to take onto the digital platforms to express how they had prognosticated the move.
Soon after, anticipation shifted into high gear when Kim Jones – who reinvented Louis Vuitton’s menswear before replacing the Belgian Van Assche as the artistic director of Dior Men – debuted his collection for the Maison at the Men’s Paris Week in June 2018.
Jones opened the show with Prince Nikolai of Denmark wearing an inside-out jacket and wide trousers. The fantastical show ensued almost instantaneously – a highlight was the white shirt delicately constructed with over 2,000 feathers on tulle – allowing Jones to establish the tone for a collection that criss-crosses between couture and streetwear. Whether it was the Toile de Jouy motif or bloom patterns from Monsieur Dior’s personal porcelains, the embellishments that echoed both his penchants were applied in controlled dosages, without straying too far from Jones’ signature and effortless aesthetic. For example, even the gently cut suits were conferred with a gown-like appeal.
Floral on a neutral-coloured coat paired with a sheer white T-shirt in a Dior Oblique logo pattern and baggy skater shorts, and a coat with floral feather embroideries encased in transparent vinyl – there were a myriad of possibilities. The Edwardian upbringing of Monsieur Dior could be felt in the colour palette: white, blue and the Maison’s symbolic pink and grey.
Wonderfully, Jones was able to find a way to interpret the emblematic Dior Saddle bag for the first time for men, which can be found in cross-body, backpack and belt-bag styles. The collection showcased leather jackets laser-cut into cannage pattern as well as top-handle tote and weekender bags, and casual footwear and basketball shoes.
Drawing inspiration from the autobiography Dior by Dior, Jones declared that there were not just one but two Diors. “In his autobiography, Christian Dior reasoned that there are two Diors – the man, and the myth. The latter is the House of Christian Dior, born in 1947; the former, Monsieur Dior himself… It is a dual tribute – to the reality of Dior, and the fantasy,” he said in his show notes, and added, “Christian Dior stated that his identity as a couturier was actually not one man but many – a composite of people.” Hence, it wouldn’t be farfetched to surmise that the collection represents a delightful dialogue between the two.
The capsule collection offers T-shirts, blousons, trousers, backpacks and pouches adorned with the iconic bee KAWS alongside the name Dior, and casual pieces such as jeans and shirts, which have been accentuated by Japanese selvedge denim embroidered in the Boro style. The Saddle bag designed for the S/S’19 collection also makes an appearance, in addition to a selection of accessories like sneakers and pouches, as well as sunglasses, belts with buckles designed by Matthew Williams of Alyx and jewellery by Yoon of Ambush (like the adorable KAWS bee in pink or yellow crystal-studded pins).
Unveiled at the Dior menswear pop-up store in Tokyo in November, you can now find the capsule collection through selected Dior boutiques around the world, not to mention the Maison e-commerce and WeChat.
The first capsule collection, helmed by Kim Jones, will be available on 11 January 2019 at Dior Men KLCC. For more information, visit here.
