Fashion Report: Dior SS 1998

CATEGORY IS: HAUTE COUTURE

Haute couture is about telling a story more than finding what is wearable. It is an art form that uses many elements, including music, makeup, fabrics, lighting, and set design. Oftentimes, designers are hinting towards a deeper message that ties into cultural, political, and historical contexts.

The show begins with a model on a staircase in dramatic heavy fabrics, makeup, and black colors. She is accompanied by a man who is in seemingly less clothes than her. The theme was set in the Victorian times, with silhouettes hinting at those time periods. She is almost having a “battle” with the man, or performing something similar to Romeo and Juliet, or the Titanic scene with the split staircase. She runs up the stairs and showcases her extremely flamboyant dress. The scene ends with a “snowfall” and the music gets a little softer. The next set of models arrives in lighter, softer colors to match the snowfall. Still giving Victorian-esque silhouettes, but this time with floral overlays. This scene is focused on big, constructed pieces with unique props. The Victorian era was known for its flamboyance and opulence, and people would often use ornamented pieces. This was heavily shown throughout this phase. My favorite piece from this scene was the gorgeous fur trimmed leopard petticoat with the oversized, flowy, floral shawl and dress, with the gigantic, glamorous hat. Truly a masterpiece.


The next scene opens with a model in a structured all white outfit with an intricate hat, and three dogs by her side. The music is strong and upbeat, which kind of points to a new “era”. The clothes in this scene show more muted colors, tighter silhouettes. I noticed during this show that each new scene showcases a more modernized version of the last. The first scene had the most relation to true Victorian Era clothing, while the last scene was a more modernized take on that style/time period.

Towards the end of the show, we start to see gold and metallics, bolder clothing/makeup, and sleeveless clothing and slits for the women (hinting at a new, modernized version). The patterns are oriental and baroque with intricate detailing on the coats. He features another favorite of mine: the burgundy fur trimmed petticoat and matching dress with embellishments on the back. Then they show the beaded gowns, which are perfectly constructed to show opulence and a modern feel with the open back. The intentional colors used are bold, powerful colors, including gold, burgundy, royal blue, metallics, and deep purples. with hints of baroque patterns, fabrics. He ends the show featuring one of the coolest pieces ever: the armor look. The model has armour on one of her arms, almost as a decoration, with her “headpiece” being stacked jewelry pieces. I love this look so much because he is blending the meaning of the show in one outfit. The sleeveless silver slip was the perfect combination with the armored arm. In my eyes, the soft fabrics mixed with the hard armor hint to taking inspiration from the past and reimagining it to create an aesthetically historic moment. Because in the Victorian era it wasn’t common for women to wear armor, but since Christian showcased it towards the end mixed with a dress the Victorians would’ve considered sleepwear, it shows the intentional class to make a bold statement. The show ends with two sage green embellished dresses, similar to the one at the very beginning. One walks up the staircase similarly to the first, but this time the music and lighting are lighter. Sage green was a part of the aesthetic movement. It was specifically popular towards the end of the Victorian Era, so it makes a lot of sense that he used sage green as the final pieces, because his show was almost “moving through the decades”.

This show was so much fun to watch and learn about. I know this wasn’t the most thought out report, but I’m trying to get better at understanding shows from a historical and artistic perspective. I’m really digging up my AP Lit skills from the archives because there’s a LOT that goes into one singular show. Everything is symbolic and has a deeper meaning, so it’s almost like a mystery trying to discover all the easter eggs throughout the show. I’m so excited to keep doing these reports because archival haute couture fashion is my favorite thing to study and watch. I encourage everyone to watch at least one show from a new perspective!

With love,

Marley xoxo

Christian Dior Haute Couture SS 1998