Maria Grazia Chiuri pays homage to New York and Paris as the style capitals for the Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2024 collection. The bridge between both cultures is Marlene Dietrich, a charismatic, contrarian actress to which Maria Grazia Chiuri drew inspiration from her to build a collection that fuses the Dior silhouette with the diva’s phantasmagorical presence and boyish allure.

“I think her look was very modern, very contemporary,” Chiuri said, explaining her attraction to Dietrich. “She had this idea to really consciously play with fashion, very early she understood that.”

The tweeds used came directly from a selection of English menswear fabrics. The precious and sometimes very light dresses, recalling the style of the ‘40s, give a glimpse of the lingerie that turns out to be an essential part of the outfit.

Fabrics such as hammered satin, crushed velvet and crepe are reinterpreted in a contemporary spirit. Some of the lace-encrusted slip dresses, often revealed beneath large, lined coats, are made from quilted nylon featuring the cannage motif. The embroidery evokes brooches and echoes the signature codes: the star, the lily of the valley, the clover and the bee.

As for knitwear, a virtuoso level of inventiveness has allowed multiple facets of its extraordinary plurality to be developed.