In Review – Dior Fall 2023 Men’s Show
Kim Jones introduced his Dior Fall 2023 Men’s Show to the backdrop of the Giza Pyramids, Egypt on 3rd December 2022. MA Luxury Brand Strategy & Business student, Kevin De Silva reports.
Dior unveiled its Fall 2023 menswear collection at the backdrop of Giza Pyramids on 3rd December 2022. “The celestial collection celebrates a lifelong passion for travel” says Kim Jones, Artistic Director for Dior.
With Kim Jones growing up in Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana and Kenya, this collection celebrated his love for travel. The show was located in Cairo, Egypt and with the famous Great Pyramids in the background, Jones wanted the models to act as desert warriors. Techno music set the scene and the models were seen walking through the sandy walkways with the breeze gliding through their garments.
In this collection, Dior focused on the colour palettes of the desert – from daytime to nightfall, with hints of the sunset in between. Neutral tones were the main colour palette of the night escorted with two-piece sets, draped knitwear sets and bomber jackets. Along with models wearing overhead face shields, the collection took on an otherworldly look.
Dior Fall 2023 menswear runway show
“My interest in ancient Egypt is about the stars and the sky. It’s that fascination with the ancient world and the parallels with what we look at today; what we inherited from them and what we are still learning from the past.” – Kim Jones
Dior Pre-Fall 2023 menswear collection
Here are 9 of my favourite looks straight from the runway via Vogue.com
Dior x Denim Tears
In other news, Dior also revealed its capsule collection with Denim Tears and says, “This line celebrates the inventiveness of the house of Dior and the strength of its creative dialogues”. Tremaine Emory (Creative director of Supreme) is expected to pay an homage to Black artists like James Baldwin and Miles Davis. It’s no surprise that Dior collaborated with streetwear brands such as Shawn Stussy back in 2019 and with KAWS earlier this year. Blurring the lines between streetwear and luxury is one of Kim Jones strong points and by collaborating with Denim Tears, Jones is furthering his expanding vision of the Dior man.
Dior’s Brand Strategy
Dior’s strategy in doing the show in Egypt really tied in with the otherworldly theme. As reported by WWD Kim Jones said, “There’s so many questions not known about ancient Egypt that that alien question always comes in”. Resulting in Jones connecting Dior’s 75th Anniversary celebrations to the 100th anniversary of Tutankhamun’s tomb by British archaeologist Howard Carter. Adding to the explorer inspired collection.
Luxury brands such as Chanel are adopting more and more dramatic backdrops as a PR exercise to enhance social media presence and to attract new audiences. Chanel’s Cruise 2021/22 collection set in Dubai is an example of this, where luxury brands are investing in re-staging fashion shows. By doing these re-stages it creates new opportunities to talk about a collection months after its already been showcased. Similarly, Chanel’s Cruise 2022/23 show was set on Monte Carlo beachfront where they paid homage to racing and casinos to boost engagement with Chanel’s top VIP clients. Chanel is notorious for going big on fantasy, but now they’re taking it internationally to amplify physical experiences. Another example of elaborate, destination showcasing is that of Saint Laurent’s spring 23 show taking place in the Agafay Desert, Morocco, and prior to this Venice acted as the backdrop for the spring 22 womenswear show further saluting high-end fashion’s love affair with travel.
Fashion houses need to do more in today’s complex digital environment to make an impact and get people talking and interacting with the brand. Creativity in fashion shows is about making vertical connections within the present day and the past. It’s a very exciting moment for fashion and culture, and immersing audiences in the history and narrative of the brand is key. Destination fashion shows are the trend du jour after the prolonged grounding of the pandemic, and with it comes an exciting moment for fashion shows.
By Kevin De Silva – MA Luxury Brand Strategy & Business