2012 Christian Dior artistic director Kris Van Assche’s spring-summer menswear collection was one for the books. Van Assche worked as artistic director for Dior Homme for eleven years, during the time he released numerous collections that paved the way for Dior’s most recent collections. Van Assche’s SS2012 menswear collection was the second year in which he featured almost entirely all white pieces, as he called it Less and More.
The collection itself features basic t-shirts, button-ups, trousers, and jackets in muted colours which pair with Van Assche’s traditionalist approach. Although the collection itself was released almost 10 years ago, the styles and fabrics that Van Assche use can be found in numerous collections today- with muted colours having never gone out of style. Many believed that this collection was dull due to the lack of colour and variety within the pieces. Although this collection is now 10 years old, many of these pieces are still seen today as Van Assche’s creations were contemporary and revamped season after season.
Fast forward to Dior’s release of the SS2022 Menswear collection, creative director Kim Jones and musician Travis Scott work together to create one of the most eye-catching and unique collections to date. The collection itself is the complete opposite to what designer Van Assche put out just 10 years ago, as the 2022 collection features an array of colourful form fitted trousers, jackets, and sweaters. As fashion has evolved greatly in the last 10 years these two collections are almost polar opposites of one another, giving men the ability to add patterns and colours into their wardrobes. Not only has Kim Jones outdone himself, but Travis Scott uses his signature “Houston” colours of brown, green, and pink to create iconic pieces that have never before been seen by Dior. One of the most iconic pieces within the collection feature a bright pink head to toe emsemble, complete with one of Dior’s infamous bucket hats.
The selection and availability of which men’s clothing was created by Dior was nothing compared to the creations of Jones and Scott, as not only did this collection feature notorious pieces but also a collaboration with artist George Condo whose items were auctioned off for charity. Travis Scott discusses the foundation he created (with this collaboration in mind) of wanting to send kids to Parsons- as Scott explains how expensive American schools are and how every kid should be given an opportunity to experiment with creation and design. When interviewed about this collection Travis Scott is asked what he wanted out of it, as this was the first men’s collection shown live since the start of the pandemic. Travis simply replies with, “Have you ever been to utopia?” The feeling of utopia is classified as being a highly desirable and nearly perfect world, which this collection unanimously achieved.
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