The goddess gown is to the Italian designer what the Bar jacket was to Christian Dior.
“The peplos also is an element that allows the body to move freely, that evokes women in movement, and no one more than an athlete moves their body in a really active way.
Stripping the gowns of their eveningwear connotations, she imagined a wardrobe for a goddess on the go.
“Because of my age, now I have to be safe, also because I broke my femur two years ago,” she said apologetically.
Still, she’ll be watching the Summer Olympics — assuming the event, postponed by 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic, goes ahead despite public opposition.
In an echo of her debut collection for the house in 2016, Chiuri included mesh or embroidered fencing vests that she likened to the shield of Athena, the goddess of war.
The starting point for the collection was a vintage fashion shoot featuring models in gowns from Christian Dior’s fall 1951 haute couture collection in front of the Acropolis.
“It was beautiful to have the opportunity to rethink and to see these references that probably, when I studied them at school, I didn’t read and learn about with the same interest and consciousness that I have today.
Chiuri sees a direct link between figures like Arachne, who challenged Athena to a weaving contest, and clothing.
Grimacing at the idea of wearing high heels, Chiuri pointed at the brand’s new Dior Vibe sneakers, featuring a transparent upper with gold or silver accents.