We hit up Christian Dior’s FW25 show in Paris today to take a journey back through time, spanning the history of the brand (and of the planet too). Heading backstage before the show, which was titled “Once Upon a Time,” we linked up with Peter Philips, Creative and Image Director for Dior Makeup to get a closer look at how the show's beauty looks were made, before models stepped on a runway of lava, beneath hovering boulders and what looked like pterodactyls - and somehow, all that still didn’t distract from the collection.
Kicking off Paris Fashion Week day two, the Christian Dior show, set within Jardin des Tuileries, hosted a ton of celebrities including Lucy Hale, Michelle Monaghan, Xin Liu, and Blackpink’s Jisoo. On entering the vast - almost stadium sized - show space, we found a room lit in electric blue with a single swing hung from the ceiling. Like a clash of modern and classic, it set the scene for the show.
Following a story you probably know all too well (and if you don’t, you should familiarise yourself with it rn), Maria Grazia Chiuri’s collection was inspired by one of the many greats in Christian Dior’s history: Gianfranco Ferré, who was creative director from 1989 to 1996. Taking inspiration from his time at the Parisian house, Chiuri referenced his style and codes, from elevated formalwear to “J’adore Dior” tees.
But before all this, we headed backstage with Peter Philips to get an up close look at how the beauty for the show was manifested. As Philips told us, "For the Dior beauty show, we went for a pure, but strong look. We wanted to glorify each models individuality." This much is clear through the way each model's features were highlighted - playing on their unique traits. Philips explained that "Luminous skin was the starting point without any highlighters or contours. Eyebrows were slightly brushed and black khôl liner was added in the inner corner of the eyes to create depth and intensity."
Using Dior makeup, Philips worked with a team of MUAs to create a beauty look that complimented the collection, with Philips describing how he working alongside "the lighting in Bob Wilson’s scenography [which] enhanced each models features, whilst the styling (collars, neckpieces) and Guido’s hair framed the faces, showing their strong purity."
On the runway, we saw nods to Gianfranco Ferré’s work through feminine codes like embroidered gowns, pantaloons, lace slips, and ruffled collars (which Chiuri actually said were a reference to Virginia Woolf). However, we also some starkly modern pieces too, like a black, cropped bomber jacket, red military-style coats, metallics and motorcycle jackets, or even the revival of the house’s beloved “J’adore Dior” tee.
Maria Grazia Chiuri went big and went home on the runway at Christian Dior’s FW25 show, with a show space and a story that felt as vast and deep as the entirety of space and time. But the collection also kept things close to home, by representing a commitment to itself as a house, honouring its historic codes and one iconic predecessor.
Featured image via Getty©
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