THE ULTIMATE ESSENTIALS
KIM JONES INTRODUCES A TIMELESS, SEASONLESS COLLECTION FOR MEN BEARING THE QUINTESSENTIAL HALLMARKS OF THE HOUSE OF DIOR. THIS IS DIOR ESSENTIALS
When you hear the word “essential,” chances are, your mind will automatically think of something that is absolutely necessary and important. Something that you can’t live without, basically. A second reading of this word underlines the “essence” of an element, in the sense of being fundamental or inherent to its nature.
As part of his mission to modernize the Dior Man as the maison’s artistic director for anything menswear, Kim Jones introduces a timeless, seasonless collection expressing those fundamental tenets: Dior Essentials. This carefully-curated men’s collection is devised to sketch out the essential lines of masculine attire—its formula, its natural essence—while at the same time distilling the quintessential hallmarks of the House of Dior.
Historically speaking, alongside his seasonal shifts and sense of newness, Christian Dior quickly established iconic codes and signatures within his collections, giving a certain timelessness and eternal allure reflecting the “essence” of the maison. Astutely continuing in these footsteps, the Dior Essentials men’s collection both establishes and defines the vital elements of a men’s wardrobe expressed in the signature Dior spirit. The Dior Essentials collection features timeless piece that every man should have in his wardrobe. Pieces that are well made, would go with just about everything, can be used for a long time and—most importantly—is unmistakably Dior.
The Dior Essentials spans both formal and casual attire, day and eveningwear. It comprises a timeless wardrobe for every eventuality, each piece precise and pure. Be it tailored, sportswear, outerwear, leather, denim, knitwear and shirting ... all capture the essence of the Dior men silhouette.
NEW TAILORING
In terms of tailoring, Kim Jones has also evolved the house’s formal tailoring collection for a new era. Expanding and refining the Dior Essentials, the tailoring puts forward entirely new offerings while existing styles are refreshed and rejuvenated as details are distilled and aesthetics reexamined. For the Dior men of today, the proportions are reengineered and reset with higher waists, generous lapels and shirt collars. These little changes give the style a fresher and more fluid approach.
Case in point: The classic Dior men’s singlebreasted notch-lapel suit with its signature shoulder and hand-stitched detailing now gets a CD monogram lining in jacquard—which was also drawn from the Dior menswear archives— and a soutache braid loop at the nape of the neck. Other than that, new silhouettes selections were also introduced to the formal range in the form of single-breasted, double-breasted and tuxedo variants.
The Tailleur Oblique, an already iconic style that was first seen in the Dior men’s collection for summer 2019, makes a strong appearance here. In a variety of tailoring fabrics, it acts as a bridge between directed seasonal fashion and a timeless masculine elegance. The trousers are now streamlined with a slightly higher waist without waistbands, then secured with side adjusters—a reference to a past that is still relevant for today. And now, for the first time, a half-lined jacket is proposed. It’s light, casual with ae construction that provides insight into the hand-tailored architecture and the expressive side of Dior’s couture sensibility.
Details are also given extra attention. Throughout the collection, the label is now an emblematic shade of Dior gray, and the newly-introduced suit styles each feature a hand-sewn buttonhole on the lapel, a subtle but essential signifier of Dior savoir-faire. Each suit features full-canvas construction, with its tailoring heritage reflected in a new satin-striped cupro sleeve lining and interior waistband.
Fabric options have also expanded to include houndstooth, Prince of Wales and chiné check, with stripes in pale or navy blue. These patterns echo Christian Dior’s personal wardrobe, in the masculine British fabrics he both wore and used regularly in his haute couture creations. Exclusive textiles will be added seasonally outside the five-to-ten existing permanent fabrics to expand choices for formal wear. This new tailoring for Dior means a new look for Dior men. The Dior couture ethos is now translated into the realm of twenty-first century masculinity.
EXCELLENCE IN EVERYTHING
The craftsmanship that goes into every piece of Dior includes multiple stages of meticulous pattern-making, cutting and placement. And the Dior Essentials is no different: each piece is precise. Besides the aforementioned formal silhouettes, the line also encompasses jeans, jackets, trousers, poplin shirts, trench coats, leather jackets and other classics. The presence of the superlative quality of craft and manufacture is evident everywhere, including in the details. Down to the finest point, everything is calculated: From the excellent selection of fabrics, delicate poplin details, fine cashmere material or Japanese denim featuring a selvedge specially woven with the Dior logo, the house’s identity is present and literally embedded in the cloth.
The Dior Essentials is focused on classic colors, timeless shapes and details that quietly iterate Dior heritage. The collection also plays with iconic symbols from across eras. For instance, the embroidered bee, redolent of the natural world. There’s also the Dior cipher drawn from Monsieur Dior’s own attire, the Dior Oblique monogram and the crosshatch of the iconic Cannage motif etched into buttons. As for the color palette, as mentioned before, the collection focuses on classic monochrome hues alongside gray and navy—colors that are innately tied to the aesthetic universe of Dior.
Like nature, a wardrobe is organic, everevolving and changing. Pieces are gradually be added to the Essentials collection to build it up into a complete masculine sartorial proposal, the strongest of foundations on which to build a style.
“It comprises a timeless wardrobe for every eventuality, each piece precise and pure”