At Dior, Dancing For Your Liberation
Creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri draws inspiration from Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham.
Photograph by Estrop via Getty Images.
On Monday, Dior dedicated its its Spring 2019 collection to the heroines of modern dance: Loïe Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Ruth Saint Denis, Martha Graham and Pina Bausch.
Far from a typical runway show, the Dior SS19 show was architected by legendary choreographer Sharon Eyal, and featured models marching down a petal-strewn runway while dancers circled them to a crescendoing soundtrack by Israeli techno musician and DJ Ori Litchik.
“I took great inspiration from the work of a number of artists, including Loïe Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham and Pina Bausch, who used dance as a way of breaking free,” Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri told Vogue. The clothes themselves were balletic, with nude-hued bodysuits, sheer tulle column gowns and quietly shimmering details dominating—certainly stuff worth dancing in.
Dior isn't the only house that's working around the notions of dance and physicality this season; last week in Milan, Gucci hosted a performance by British dancer and choreographer Michael Clark, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of composer Erik Satie's birth and neatly segued into a tribute to David Bowie.
With film Twitter all, well, atwitter over the upcoming release of Luca Guadagnino's ballet academy-set Suspiria remake, featuring suits made by Zegna designer Alessandro Sartori, it's safe to say that dance-infused fashion is officially having A Moment. If fashion is currently enamored with skateboarding, let us never forget that is is simply ballet for bros. The original fashion art is dance. Now let's throw on a bodysuit and sway to some Enya!
