Page 123 - The Book For Men Spring/Summer 2023

climates, which informs the way of life in those parts and, by extension this collection. “There is the idea of a private, countryside life, lived casually in more utilitarian clothes — focused on gardening, walking, and fishing,” Jones says, “and contrasted at the same time with the more elegant and formal Dior codes.”
“There is an idea of the passage of time, the changing weather and light of the seasons, as well as continuity, community, and legacy.”
That’s reflected in the colour palette, which taps into a gradient of Dior greys, pinks, and pastels (the sky), as well as greens and blues (gardens, hiking trails and water) to submerge us in the magic of these places. The pieces themselves have an undeniably utilitarian edge yet remain artful and intricate. Technical innovation like rubber-injected boots and 3D printing are balanced with more traditional elements like delicate embroideries and silk organza jackets; there are trail running-inspired shorts, but also sweaters and anoraks that repurpose Duncan Grant’s sketches and paintings; there are timeless double-breasted jackets in beiges and greys but also of-the-moment shell necklaces and florals.
If this collection is different from Jones’ most talked about offerings it remains something that is quintessentially of his doing. It takes vision, skill and imagination — or, in a single word, creativity — to take such seemingly disparate sources of inspiration and create something that isn’t just cogent but
harmonious. It takes someone able to suss out that Messrs. Dior and Grant would’ve been kindred souls had they met. It takes someone intimately familiar with the history of the Maison and with the artist in question (Jones has collected many of Grant’s works over the years) to realize they share a birthday — and to know that Christian Dior would’ve paid attention to that detail, as Jones says.
And that is what makes Kim Jones special, the feeling that the British designer is intimately familiar with everything that he references, despite the frenetic pace at which he works given the demands of the industry and the various hats he wears. Working with familiar collaborators, like the milliner Stephen Jones, helps, but so does Kim Jones’ seemingly unflinching obsession with unrivalled quality. (Case in point: the collaboration with Montana-based bag company Mystery Ranch for the Spring/Summer 2023 collection on a series of utilitarian and practical bags, compartmentalized leather rucksacks with retable rain hoods, and multi-pocketed Saddle bags.) How, one wonders, does one of the preeminent Parisian fashion houses come to work with a relatively obscure Montana bag manufacturer?
For Kim Jones, it was simple: “Mystery Ranch is the best outdoor brand I knew. So, with the atelier, we decided to work with them.”
The best, nothing less — that’s what we keep getting from Kim Jones.
DIOR MEN’S SPRING/SUMMER 2023 BACKSTAGE: PHOTOGRAPHED BY THOMAS CHENE. ALL CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES BY DIOR MEN. ALL GROOMING BY DIOR BEAUTY.
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