Kris Van Assche demystifies the idea of youth in his Dior Homme Winter 2018 show. Where past seasons casted youths to portray a story of freedom, Van Assche now expands his men to include male supermodels from the 1990s: Cameron Alborzian, Mark Vanderloo and Arnaud Lemaire. The result? A symbolism of youth that is not measured by age, but by the culture that signifies it.
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Paying homage to the intricate pattern-making of Monsieur Dior, the runway started off with sculpted suit jackets tightly cinched at the waist, harking back to the brand’s iconic Bar jacket. Van Assche continues to deconstruct the Dior Homme suit, and this time he pitches sartorial codes against urban nostalgia, emblazoning the 1990s tribal tattoo motif throughout the collection as a singular heraldic pattern or all-over print.
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The runway transited into a modernised teenage wardrobe, where the nostalgia of pubescent dressing was explored ironically through the trompe l’oeil layering of classic knit polo shirts, tank tops and turtleneck sweaters, juxtaposed with structured trenches and high pleated trousers in suiting wools or washed denim.
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Cropped nylon parkas, duffel coats, rugged shearlings and technical windcheaters were teamed with laser-printed tattoo brogues and canvas hi-tops. The runway was an overview of where streetwear-meets-sartorial could breakthrough, “reflecting the eternal call-and-repeat of youth and manhood”, as Van Assche puts.
Check out the full looks below:
