©Adrien Dirand"But you can think and imagine forever, and so stop and decide not to pick up a bag. With dogged effort, turn your thoughts into work and commit your thoughts to a book."
Jack Kerouac, "On the Road*" (1957)
Celebrating relentless imagination, and the reinterpretation and fresh perspective of craft.
For his Fall 2022 men's collection, Men's Artistic Director Kim Jones drew inspiration from a groundbreaking figure: the author Jack Kerouac. Kerouac transformed literature in the same way Christian Dior transformed fashion. Kerouac's second novel, "On the Road," is widely regarded as the defining work of the Beat Generation. Published in 1957, the same year as Christian Dior's death, Kerouac ushered in a new era in literature, just as Monsieur Dior's debut revolutionized fashion a decade earlier.
Monsieur Dior's love of travel inspired him to discover different cultures, fresh perspectives, and the New Look. America was an essential part of his life, a new world that resonated with Dior's fresh vision of postwar fashion. Christian Dior also had a love for literature. Though he didn't cross paths with Kerouac or the Beat Generation, their influence permeates the House's legacy. Yves Saint Laurent's Beatnik-inspired collection ushered in the 1960s. He introduced the first-ever collection of leather jackets in couture history, named "Chicago" after one of Kerouac's key stops on his road trips across the United States.
From counterculture to couture, this collection blends the atelier with the "road," combining the craftsmanship of a Parisian couture house with the modern, casual ease of mid-American sportswear. All roads lead to Dior. Checked tweeds and soft bias-cut collegiate coats are inspired by mid-century collections by Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Bohan, adding a supple lightness to Dior's signature tailoring. Fair Isle knitwear is intricately embroidered with sequins, and cloquet fabrics are woven with the "CD Diamond" logo. Original silk scarves from the 1960s are also reinvented, with various scarf graphics adorning shirts and jackets. First edition book jacket illustrations of Kerouac's works are hand-painted or printed on silk and leather, interpreting literature in the language of couture. While vintage washed denim, which appears frequently in this collection, is one of the most iconic American fabrics, its name, derived from Serge de Nîmes (Nîmes textile), is of French origin.
The collection blends Dior heritage and couture techniques with future technology, drawing inspiration from the visionary spirit of mid-century America. Technical silks and recycled nylon are combined with embroidery and ethereal pastels, enhanced by Dior gray from the House's archives. Accessories exude a travel-inspired flair, with a climbing cord traversing the silhouette of the Saddle bag. The Dior Oblique motif is given a distressed look in khaki and indigo, and the classic book carrier is redesigned as an iPhone case. Footwear includes classic derby styles, rope-strap sandals, and a new hiking boot. Echoing the designer's couture heritage, sequin-embroidered checks and exotic leather embellishments are designed with practicality in mind.
The Fall 2022 Men's runway show, the designer's first men's show in London, was preluded by a recreation of Kim Jones's London home library, home to rare first editions and volumes, curated by Sammy Jay, head of literary affairs at antiquarian bookstore Peter Harrington. The show unfolded as a story, presented on a stage that recreated the legendary 120-foot-long "On the Road" manuscript, a fitting setting for a collection dedicated to Kerouac's life and literature, and the transformative spirit shared by both him and Dior.
* Published by Viking Press in 1957
** This item features graphics of various landscapes of American national parks, such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Big Sur, the title of Kerouac's book, shaped like the letter "D."
*** Named after a city in Occitanie, France.
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