Review Of Dior Men Fall 2021

Kim Jones brings Kenny Scharf onboard to lend a new-again electricity to his latest collection

By Jeffrey Yan - published 9 Dec 2020

As in an established hallmark by now, Kim Jones’ latest Dior Men outing is marked by a partnership with a prominent contemporary artist. For Fall 2021, he looked to the works of Kenny Scharf. The American artist’s vivid, almost-psychedelic paintings brought a new dimension to silhouettes and styles that Jones have turned into a signature of his Dior tenure—the elevated sportswear, the sensuous tailoring, and the effortless, seamless blend of the two.

Dior Men Fall 21 — Phoyo: Brett Lloyd/Dior Men

This time around though, the prints were a little denser, the sheen of glamour a little slicker—the better to pop on a screen, as most fashion shows are consumed now (although this latest extravaganza was also staged as a physical happening in Beijing). As befits its starting point, the collection had a feeling of ‘80s electricity and liberation—encapsulated by Jones’ blend of the hyperreal with the cartoonish, and the futuristic with the classic.

The freewheeling energy of New York and London in that era came through in the collection’s experimental styling and its commitment to a fashion-forward look, but it was also tempered by Jones’ calculated eye towards commercial merchandising. The result was a distinctive aesthetic that was pure Jones but one that would also yield surefire hits at retail.

Elsewhere, newness came in the form of a more body-conscious sensibility as well as a swing towards a look that was less street and more couture, but jolted with a heavy dose of club-kid, art-punk subversion. The collection also nodded to our current moment’s penchant for fluidity, individuality and, in his casting choices, inclusivity.