Dior Homme Fall Winter 2012 Collection |

Saturday January 21, 2011 – Tennis Club

Called “A Soldier On My Own”, Kris Van Assche translated the idea of military uniforms into ‘formal sportswear’; a paradox whose versatility and functionality easily appeals to a sizable cross-section of men. “It’s military but not stiff. It’s a peaceful army. They don’t wear military hats. These are baseball hats.” said the mild mannered designer to a gaggle of frenzied reporters.

There was little doubt that the Dior Homme soldiers were anything but impeccable peacemakers; one need only look at the use of the olive green tones and white dove prints to realize it. For the latter, Van Assche explained that they cut abstract embroidered birds and added them to the clothes, as well as the lining, giving the parkas and jackets an unique look.

“This is a tailored collection with a sporty approach. Last season was about tailored fluidity, [but] for Fall, I took our know-how techniques that make a Dior Homme suit so unique and applied it to sportswear, preserving the house couture’s spirit, the codes and the luxurious Dior Homme standard pieces.”

For the first looks, a top-to-bottom zippered long overcoat revealed the inside seams, but the true rift on convention came when the followings looks exposed shoulder and side seams as an accentuating feature. Jackets, parkas and trench coats, bias, inserts and sills traditionally hidden in the linings are visible.

Aviator mirrored shades paired with shirt and tie combos portend a cool confidence that could be a reflection of the designer himself, who appears to have found his strongest creative stride in this latest collection. The use of contrasting fabrics, ranging from cashmere, to leather and wool, blend perfectly, giving the sense that the Dior Homme is in total control of his elements.

Backstage Van Assche confirmed that most pieces are fully reversible, giving one the option of sporting the jackets in two ways. The use of Trompe l’Oeil buttons and zippers completes the latter.