About two weeks ago I had the opportunity to see the movie Dior And I at a private event held in the Crosby Street Hotel in Soho, organised by Dior. I had been wanting to see the documentary from the moment I knew it was being produced, and I must say I really appreciated the way in which it was made.
Directed by Frédéric Tchen, the film shows the process of creation of the first collection of Raf Simons for Dior, which not only happened to be the haute couture collection, but also had to be done in eight weeks. Despite the increasingly faster pace at which the fashion industry evolves, the creation of an entire couture collection – perhaps the most artistic of all collections – in only eight weeks naturally involves a HUGE pressure. This pressure does make part of the narrative in the film, although it does focus more on the creative process of such a talented designer as Raf Simons. But what I found most important was that it provides a rather comprehensive snapshot of the ‘magic’ that happens in haute couture atéliers: from staying true to the essence of the maison while providing a fresh collection, to the interactions between creative director and seamstresses working in producing the garments.
The presence of seamstresses – the so-called petits-mains – is what I loved the most about the film. Raf Simons is highly praised as a creative genius by many in the industry, but few dare to praise – or even mention – the team of hands that make his collections – or any fashion collection, for that matter – come to life. Especially in haute couture, where each garment is most certainly a piece of art that requires hours of intensive and delicate artisanship, it is the support received from a team of amazingly talented artisans what makes the most dreamy designs of any fashion creative become an actual collection. And I truly appreciate the attention given to this ‘back scene’ of fashion in the film.
So if you still don’t have plans for the weekend and want to get a small immersion on what fashion looks behind the scenes, I recommend seeing Dior and I.
PS. Special thanks to Paula Mendoza and Ariel (from Dior) for making this post happen 🙂 I love you guys!