Christian Dior was one of fashion's great illustrators and a wordsmith too, a fact that Kris Van Assche celebrated in Saturday's Dior Homme show in more ways than one. For starters, he resurfaced a 1951 letter in Christian's own hand and went to town with it, embroidering it as a subtle collar quote before allowing it to run riot across denim jeans, print button-downs, and in bright white over cobalt-coloured outerwear. Van Assche's seasonal premise centred around the two disparate poles of French geography and style, in which he referenced the balance of urbane and seaside living that defined Mr. Dior's façon de vivre, which is how Breton sweaters and blocked knit tanks over shirts met crisp banker's stripe trousers and Velcro-strapped trainers, or why a self striped suit closed with a nautical toggle. The collection's second serving of Christian's history lifted the marine monotony in a scribble riot of naïve rainbow florals, pasted and stitched over jean jackets, shell knits and a structured hold-all.
