The venue of Christian Dior Resort 2014 presented in Monaco certainly has a special meaning for the house. Historically, there was the connection between Christian Dior and Princess Grace, when the actress wore a Dior wedding gown from her 1956 marriage to Prince Rainier. Now, this new collection stages both an homage to the house’s heritage and also a signal of a new era of the relationship, echoed by the friendship between Raf Simons and the principality’s Princess Charlene.
The line-up itself is about the speed of life. Simons pursued a non-literal interpretation of the color, silhouettes, and culture associated with America’s 50s automotive boom, involving the debut of a series of zig zag patterns and asymmetrical hemlines to highlight the theme. For the first time, Raf Simons also incorporated lace into his pieces, working the fabric into everything from sheer blouses and fitted crop tops to modified coatdresses and relaxed sheaths.
Standard Dior themes like florals, coat dresses, flowing feminine dresses, and sculpted shouldered suits are presented throughout the collection. Hoping to become a regular fixture in more women’s day wardrobes, the collection wave in a new fluid sporty dynamism too, while a sly reference to Grace Kelly’s role in Hitchcock’s cat-burglar film ‘To Catch A Thief’ refers to the collection’s vivid yellow, orange, and blue silk scarves by Stephen Jones.
