While ‘Christian’ is, of course, the name the majority of people associate with the iconic French fashion house of Dior, it was one of his successors whose work was honoured on the label's latest runway in Paris this week.
Marc Bohan, who took the helm at Dior in the 1960s and died in September last year at the age of 97, was a profoundly modern thinker, who did away with couture-like shopping appointments and months-long waiting periods - instead introducing the ready-to-wear concept in 1967 via ‘Miss Dior’ boutiques where customers could buy designer fashion off the peg.
It was exactly this “transitional era” of the late 60s that the current Dior designer, Maria Grazia Chiuri, chose to reflect on for her autumn/winter 2024 collection.
These were the six trends we spotted from the front row that made us particularly nostalgic for fashion's favourite era…
1. FEDORA HATS
While Dior may historically be known for its bucket hats, this season, the fedora was front and centre. Worn by women in the late nineteenth century as a symbol for female rights activism, standing for liberation and assertiveness, we couldn't help but see their presence as a subtle nod to the powerful women they dress as well as the woman behind the collection. We’ll be wearing them with jackets and skirt suits as soon as summer's over.
2. LEOPARD PRINT
Leopard print is a perennial fashion statement, something that you can wear over and over, and it never goes out of fashion. For autumn/winter 2024, however, Dior gave it something of an upgrade, with leopard-print knits almost glistening thanks to a lustrous sheen running through the thread while a simpler belted leopard print day coat looks set to satisfy the very chicest everyday wardrobe.
3. NEUTRAL PALETTE
A neutral colour palette of black, tan and white-dominated this collection. From billowing white dresses to coats and even 60s-style knee-high boots, the palette was injected with clever checked printing and tonal shades to add dimension. Camel-coloured skirt suits and trench coats dominated almost the entire first half of the collection, raising the question: is this going to be the colour of autumn? At the very least, it seems sand-hued anything will be a major trend next season, so make the most of it and invest in something to buy now and wear until then (and beyond!).
4. HEAD-TO-TOE DENIM
Giving the Canadian tuxedo something of a Parisian spin, if you’re wearing denim next autumn, you'd be wise to go big and make it super seventies. We're talking head-to-toe, with wide-legged jeans and long, almost-kaftan-style denim jackets. Make like Maria and style with a statement shirt beneath to break up the texture and add an extra point of interest to the staple seventies style.
5. LOGO-MANIA
Fans of making a fashion statement will be pleased to hear that you should wear your logo big, bold and emblazoned across your outfits next season. Maria Grazia Chiuri's take on the trend saw a direct nod to ‘Miss Dior’ make its appearance painted across suits and jackets in an unapologetically branded statement, honouring Marc Bohan's impact as well as the much-adored Miss Dior fragrance, which has recently had a refresh.
6. GLADIATOR BOOTS
Knee-high, strapped-up boots with everything? An evolution from the gladiator sandal - a silhouette which has gone in and out of style ever since the 60s before a mid-00s surge that most millennials are only just getting over - Dior's closed-toe take on the look is the perfect accessory to dress-up or dress-down everything from dresses and skirts to suits, and will transition your wardrobe seamlessly from winter 2024 to spring 2025.
For more from Glamour UK's Editor in Chief Deborah Joseph, follow her on Instagram @deborah_joseph.
