Dior FW20 Disrupted Elegant Tailoring With Judy Blame's Raw Energy
The artist’s signature berets, ragged sweaters and extravagant jewelry were all on display.
Each season at Dior men’s, Kim Jones draws from the influence of a select artist to inform the garments and accessories, with past partners ranging from KAWS to Hajime Sorayama. Fall/Winter 2020 sees the esteemed French label taking cues from Judy Blame, an influential British stylist, artist and tastemaker who passed away in 2018.
Prior to his passing, Blame worked with creatives as far-flung as UNDERCOVER and Christopher Nemeth. In the ’80s, Nemeth, Blame and John Moore created a collective known as “The House of Beauty and Culture,” which lives on in influence and thanks to special offerings that each estate makes available to Dover Street Market. Nemeth was also a past source of inspiration for Jones, who paid tribute to the designer with Louis Vuitton‘s Fall/Winter 2015 collection.
Blame’s influence is all over Dior’s Fall/Winter 2020 offering, from the influential designer’s signature beret to the delicate dinner gloves that demand each garment be rolled up above the elbow. Similarly, Blame’s taste for makeshift craftsmanship — including accessories adorned with safety pins and scrap metal — informs the jewelry that accents the looks, clumped into large brooches and swinging necklaces.
Jones’ preferred tailored looks took the runway by force, with a plethora of sleek coats, contrast-lapel blazers and pleated slacks reigning in the adventurous touches. The juxtaposition is made clear by ragged, worn-out sweaters poking out from beneath trim sport coats and the imagery that closed out the show — a Dior logo pierced by Blame’ favored safety pin and an array of glistening feathers, often stuck into one of Blame’s bespoke hats. Jones’ penchant for approachable staples occasionally offset the tailoring, standouts being bi-color bombers and a leather safari jacket laden with Matthew M. Williams‘ trademark rollercoaster buckle.
Those seeking another look at the collaborative Jordan 1 sneakers introduced at Dior’s Shawn Stussy-centric Pre-Fall 2020 will likely be disappointed, as the runway was entirely sneaker-free. Instead, Jones opted for sleek almond-toe pull-ons that recall John Moore’s chunky creations from the ’80s, sans bumpy accents. Jones told HYPEBEAST France that the “businessman-like boots” were rife with zippers because “Judy was obsessed with zips.”
Relive Dior’s Fall/Winter 2020 runway show above and learn more about Blame via the clip below.
Elsewhere at Paris Fashion Week, we went got close and personal with Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2020 and viewed the latest from AMBUSH and Junya Watanabe MAN.
