The norm, and then a bang. Maria Grazia Chiuri kicked off her Fall/Winter 2024 show by adhering to the rulebook of bourgeois dressing in the first exit–a pristine white poplin shirt under an all-khaki ensemble of airy tailored trousers and a trench coat. Chiuri subverted and deconstructed this statement in the subsequent looks: an array of skirts, blazers, and trench coats tattooed with graffiti font spelling out ‘Miss Dior.’ This served as both homage to the Miss Dior line–the house’s inaugural venture into ready-to-wear–and a rebellion against the conventions of femininity and women’s dressing.
In the show space stood towering installations by Mumbai-based artist Shakuntala Kulkarni–cane figures inspired by Indian female warriors. The pieces shared an optic on body politics and perspectives on the female body, mirroring Maria Grazia’s collection, they also conveyed a resistance against such subjects. The tension manifested in the constant interplay of constraint and liberation, exemplified, for instance, in mini skirts paired with military-cut waistcoats. A constant clash of wrapping and unveiling, armouring and baring emerged through an openwork knit worn commando look, followed by a sober and rather pensive ensemble of trousers, a turtleneck, and a headscarf styled in modesty.
Both a conceptualist and rebel, Chiuri used windowpane patterns to articulate a dual narrative of order and rebellion; to draw her own architecture of femininity. Diverse silhouettes conveyed a multifaceted manifestation of strength and authority in the collection: sturdy denim styled with thigh-high boots, studding on the lining of a coat, or even in the ironic act of a good old leopard print. The waist, confined by the cinching belts of trench coats, was emancipated through exquisite flapper dresses, adorned with golden fringes that swayed with each stride of the models around the show space.
The thing about Maria Grazia Chiuri is that no conceptual intent will deviate her from crafting a successfully sellable collection. The clothes shown today carry her message loud and clear, and for whoever wants to dig deeper, there’s the sea of her narrative. Chiuri’s are clothes have always been ready to be worn without complexities, there’s a person and occasion for all of them, and not much need for decodification. And after all, ladies and gentlemen, that is what keeps a fashion designer atop of a house for many years.