Dior Homme Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Menswear FW2018

Designer Kris Van Assche decided to take Dior Homme back to its roots in sharp tailoring. In fact, he stretched back to the founder’s defining New Look of 1947 for women — hinged on that wasp-waisted jacket known as the Bar — for his fall collection. He wasn’t shy about the nipped midsection, demarcating the horizontal seam cut into the sides of some jackets with white piping.
They looked handsome rather than feminine, vaguely recalling the neatness of military uniforms, though the designer said backstage he was careful to avoid that reference. As the show progressed Van Assche loosened things up, blending in Nineties sportswear hinged on tribal tattoo prints, wide-legged jeans and layers of striped knits. Untied laces, on dress shoes and canvas sneakers alike, also telegraphed that point.

Dior Homme Catwalk Fashion Show Paris Menswear SS2017

The models zoomed through Dior Homme’s suspended roller-coaster set so swiftly that one would think they were on skateboards. Just when one thought athletic influences were running out of breath, Dior Homme gave them a second wind: from the stripes running over the sleeves of two-button jackets to the tracksuit chevrons painted with a roller onto suit and coat sleeves.
Designer Kris Van Assche also blended in references to punk, Goth and New Wave. Pants had utility pockets, D-rings or side stripes and assumed various guises: from skinny jeans to wide raver styles.

The designer also gave military bombers and blouses fresh verve, adding chevrons here, a striped polo collar there. Sleek trench coats came with the sleeves hacked off, or sprouting a parka tail with drawstrings.

Dior Homme Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2013

Kris Van Assche’s collection for Dior Homme was entirely in blue, the metal buttons and white/blue striped sweaters aside. Van Assche, in his methodical way, set out to present what he called “a complete wardrobe.”
Van Assche knows how to turn an idea over and over, tweaking it: showing a blazer, then shearing its sleeves, then removing its back.  But the concept became skin when Van Assche rendered a few jackets and coats in nylon mesh, the better to show the construction inside.

Dior Homme Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2012

For fall Van Assche said his primary mission was to combine good tailoring with sportswear. He chose a strong theme to bring those two world together: the army.

Military-inspired looks in army green opened the show. Pleated pants with neat suit jackets, long powerful coats, subtle turtlenecks, a long hooded sweater and some leather jackets looked impressive.

Though the theme could have easily gone darker, Van Assche added white to his fall color scheme and later on some metallic/light grey. Towards the end he even introduced a dove (peace) print, making clear that an army (war) inspired collection doesn’t at all need to look heavy and aggressive.

There was not a look in sight, which you’d hit the gym in. But those officer dress codes did get a refreshing more modern and sportive touch. So in the end the tailoring and the sportswear did meet up, somewhere in the middle.

Dior Homme Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2012

Kris van Assche continued to celebrate the art of tailoring at the Dior Homme-collection. The ss2012 collection looked plain & minimal but oh so luxurious.

Shirts and tapered trousers came in natural linen and were trimmed in lambskin. Trenches appeared in powdery silk taffeta. Jackets were the stars of this precise and youthful collection, from handsome double-breasted numbers to roomy shirt-like and tunic styles, often closed at the throat and flaring open. The black hats. shoes and leather wristbands were the only contrasting details.

Dior Homme Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

Kris van Assche seems capable of letting his severe, sartorial look go en soften it with lightweight and youthful tailoring. ‘Simplicity is the true luxury’, according to the designer. And so he presented sleeveless trenchcoats, lightweight linen parkas and paper-light jackets. Black, gray and sandywhite were his main colors. Low-slung trousers were tucked into sandals.

To add a different touch to his simplicity Van Assche used samurai references, like Mao-collars or V-shaped necklines similar to kimonos. Some tops reminded of Hedi Slimane’s first collection for Dior, with the sleeveless faux-wrap shirts. Those were wonderful and new and they still seem appropriate in their renewed version.

Paris Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Dior Homme

Sisters of Mercy’s ‘Temple of Love’  reverberated through the dark, cavernous hall where the Dior Homme-show took place. The set was spread with chunks of coal — a reminder of the kind of warm, smoldering color designer Kris van Assche  had in mind while designing the collection.

Floor sweeping trenchcoats,  hooded robes and cropped suits with boots dominated the collection. Innovative variations on the classic suit, which van Assche slashed and distorted, giving it new proportions and a faux Amish Country silhouette. Luxury, creativity and comfort were the guiding principles of this fall-winter 2010 menswear collection.
Working in a reduced palette of black, charcoal and oatmeal, the Belgian designer served up oversized jackets with long, fluttering front panels that tapered into dangly V-shapes, pairing them with generously cut cropped pants. Some of the jackets were fitted with trompe l’oeil flaps on one side, while others had lapels that morphed into scarves.

Showtime, at Dior Homme

You’ll never see this at a runway-picture, but this is the setting of most of the catwalkshows. For example, Dior Homme.

Dior Homme Catwalk Fashion Show ss2010

Kris van Assche sent out a sensual, ultralight layered collection for Dior Homme. Tailored but very comfortable, with blazers als sheer as possible. There were also gym-influenced pieces like mesh tops under a sheer cardigan, or ultralight knits.

Dior Homme Catwalk Fashion Show Menswear SS09