SPRING/SUMMER 2021

CHRISTIAN DIOR

For spring, Maria Grazia Chiuri was concerned with updating the codes of Dior for a more broken-and lived-in ease—which resulted in her forgoing the Bar silhouette, a House signature, in favour of an archival design from a show staged in Japan in 1957. The result was the Palto jacket, a loose and relaxed shape (part abbreviated kimono, part dressing gown) that spoke to the desire for clothing that feels liberating on the body. The many iterations of the Palto were shown with an artful mix of prints; the ones to know this season are Mediterranean-inflected paisleys, and a collaged mix of chine and ikat warp-dyed fabrics, the latter sourced from craftswomen in Bali, Indonesia.

SAINT LAURENT

This year is the fifth one that Anthony Vaccarello has been with Saint Laurent and his confidence is in full stride. For his summer collection, he wanted, quite naturally, to aim for something softer and more comforting—a creative challenge for a designer who has defined Saint Laurent with razor-sharp tailoring and unabashed high-octane sexuality. The House’s archives, fortunately, provided inspiration. Vaccarello resurfaced ideas from the 1960s, when Yves Saint Laurent was beginning to popularise Le Smoking pantsuits, sheer blouses and safari jackets—clothing that represented feminine liberation. Key fabrics of the era were mid-weight jerseys that, while malleable and soft on the body, held shapes well and cut a mean line. Another brilliant idea from the past: Metal breastplates designed by surrealist sculptor Claude Lalanne for a 1969