The Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2024 collection is an opportunity to pay homage to New York, the megalopolis that was given – as a gift from the French to the United States at the end of the 19th century – a statue which has since become the symbol of this incredible city. In Christian Dior’s autobiography, the chapter dedicated to his Paris-New York trip opens up a dialogue between the style capitals that is highlighted by Maria Grazia Chiuri.

The bridge between both cultures is Marlene Dietrich, a charismatic, contrarian actress, attached to Dior, in life and on screen. 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. 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 so dear to the founding-couturier: the star, the lily of the valley, the clover and the bee. The lace collars become veritable structural intarsias. As for knitwear, a virtuoso level of inventiveness has allowed multiple facets of its extraordinary plurality to be developed.

The Fall 2024 show drew a stellar assortment of special guests – from Dior ambassadors Anya Taylor-Joy, Alexandra Daddario, HAERIN, Rachel Zegler and Rosamund Pike to House friends including Anna Diop, Diane Kruger and Mickalene Thomas. In the setting of New York’s Brooklyn Museum, some of them shared their thoughts about the new collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri.