TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Dior unveils 'protective' clothing for a time of crisis

With Dior's models sporting a range of protective gear -- from shoulder pads to tops that looked like bulletproof vests -- it was hard not to think of the news from eastern Europe. 

Olga Nedbaeva (AFP)
Paris, France
Wed, March 2, 2022

Share This Article

Change Size

Dior unveils 'protective' clothing for a time of crisis A model presents a creation for Dior Fall-Winter 2022-2023 collection fashion show during a fitting session at Christian Dior's fashion house in Paris on February 28, 2022. (AFP/Julien de Rosa)

D

ior's show at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday struck a sombre tone, with designer Maria Grazia Chiuri telling AFP her focus on combining "beauty and protection" was apt for a time of war. 

The collection was put together long before the Russian military began bombarding Ukraine last week. 

But with Dior's models sporting a range of protective gear -- from shoulder pads to airbag corsets to tops that looked distinctly like bulletproof vests -- it was hard not to think of the news from eastern Europe. 

Even before the Ukraine conflict, "the world was already at war", said Chiuri, Dior's artistic director for women, ahead of the show. 

"Covid was another form of war. We have all experienced some very difficult months," she said.

"There is a lot of reflection, in these difficult times, about how to combine beauty, aesthetics and protection."

The 58-year-old Italian designer said her latest creations were aimed at finding technical solutions that can be more functional for women's bodies. 

They included a high-tech reworking of Christian Dior's most iconic creation, the Bar jacket. 

In collaboration with an Italian motorbike accessories firm, D-Lab, the new jacket has its own internal heating system, combined with padded hips that give it a hypersexualised, futuristic look.

"Clothes are themselves a form of protection... they reassure us. That aspect is very present in what I do -- emotional protection as well as protection in its proper sense," she said.

A committed feminist, Chiuri sees the current crisis as further proof of the failings of a male-dominated society. 

"The problem is cultural and patriarchal. There must be more women in decision-making positions. There would be fewer wars," she said.

The autumn-winter shows were supposed to mark Paris Fashion Week's return to near-normal, with almost all labels back to holding public events as pandemic restrictions ease across Europe.

But the war in Ukraine has cast a pall, with organisers issuing a statement on Monday urging attendees to experience the shows "with solemnity, and in reflection of these dark hours".

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.