Paris is buzzing with the upcoming Olympics. Streets are full, tourist shops are bustling, and team spirit is everywhere, with endless themed events, cheering fans, and plenty of merch. Dior’s creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, got in on the games for fall 2024 haute couture, which she debuted during a star-studded runway show in Paris today. “The sacred embodiment of competition incited Maria Grazia Chiuri to pay a fitting tribute to all athletes whom, from antiquity to the present day, have overcome prejudice and obstacles to ensure a level playing field,” the show notes read.
Inside the Musée Rodin, where Dior holds its couture shows each year, the first few looks that emerged were takes on the classic white toga. All white and wrapped up in sumptuous draping, the belting, gladiator sandals, and sparkling tank tops styled underneath were dead giveaways for sporty attire. The literal interpretations didn’t stop there. Sparkling bodysuit shorts were a call to gymnast’s uniforms. As models marched across the long runway, the murals of athletes on the wall shined with the lights. (The artworks came courtesy of the legendary visual artist Faith Ringgold, and were reproduced by the artisans of Chanakya School of Craft in India, with whom Dior regularly collaborates.) Energetic Philip Glass tracks played overhead.
Sports and couture seem to exist in starkly different universes, yet Chiuri attempted to link them. She used jersey material to construct a fabric that looked like metallic metal mesh. Pleats—used in sports uniforms in a very different way, to allow for breathability—were everywhere. Toward the end of the 61-look collection, a hint of formality was injected. Think: flowing metallic dresses that looked like they were swimming with shimmer, draped shoulder dresses in honey-hued metallics, a gold one-piece covered in gilded feathers, and a shining sequin bodysuit (or swimsuit, depending on who’s wearing it) with a matching jacket. The sheer beaded gowns are likely going to be instant hits for clients and Dior red carpet ambassadors.
Although we’re still early on in the couture fall 2024 season—it’s only the first day—Chiuri is the first to present a collection tied thematically to the Olympics. “This défilé represents an extraordinary opportunity to combine couture and sportswear with classicism, rebellion, collective energy—and, above all, the political value of the female body. A woman who performs just as well as a man.” This sentiment is vital, especially in light of controversy over Olympic uniforms that were so clearly designed by men for women and a general lack of bodily autonomy for women in 2024. Still, this collection served as a teaser for what might start trending when the worlds of fashion and sport collide during the summer games.
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