The China List: Christian Dior, Fashion
Wallpaper* and China’s Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development Fund (CHSDF) present China By Design—a celebration of Chinese cultural heritage and the many global creatives who have been inspired by it.
Dior has celebrated Chinese aesthetics since its inception in 1947. Christian Dior's very first collection for the Parisian house featured not only its radical waist-defining ‘Bar Jacket’ silhouette, but also a ‘Shanghai’ overcoat, worn with a traditional Tonkinese hat. Although Monsieur Dior had never travelled to China, he was inspired by the exotic décor of his childhood home, and continued to pay tribute to the Orient throughout the 1950s, referencing China’s calligraphy, qipao silhouette, and Tang dynasty blue in various collections.
In his role as creative director of Dior (1996-2011), John Galliano also found China an endless source of inspiration. His first S/S 1997 haute couture collection referenced Chinese-style shawls such as those worn by 1920s/30s Hollywood actress Anna May Wong. The country’s cinema, symbols and silhouettes all informed the designer, whose theatrical 2003 haute-couture collection was inspired by a trip to the Beijing Opera, and described by Sarah Mower as boasting ‘multicoloured volumes of fabric that mixed East and West, ancient and modern’. In 2008, the house also strengthened its link with China’s contemporary art world, staging the exhibition ‘Christian Dior and Chinese Artists’ at the UCCA Beijing.
Christian Dior’s current women’s artistic director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, continues to strengthen the house’s Chinese connection. In 2018, she designed a China-specific haute-couture capsule collection, featuring caped jackets and cascading tulle ball gowns in vibrant red, a nod to the Chinese lucky colour. Presented in Shanghai in October 2019 with 14 country-exclusive runway looks, her S/S 2020 collection featured floral embroideries and a China Rose print, inspired by ‘the beautiful Mutabilis rose, which arrived in Paris from China around the 17th or 18th century and became very popular with Marie Antoinette’, explained Chiuri.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Real Motors’ Project: ARES electric motorbike may revolutionise two-wheeled travel
Project: ARES is an all-electric sports bike with science-fiction styling and old-school performance. Its makers hope it’ll be a hit with a new generation of riders
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Hermès captures the sheer delight of summer with new menswear collection
Hermès’ diaphanous menswear for S/S 2024 is Véronique Nichanian’s ode to sultry summer days
By Jack Moss Published
-
Japan in Milan: the best of Japanese design at Milan Design Week 2024
Discover the best of Japanese design showcasing innovative designs from terrazzo tables to tree-inspired textiles at Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile 2024
By Danielle Demetriou Published