Dior Men Spring 2022: from Bohan to big cats

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
May 25, 2021

Maybe, at least for one season, people might rename Dior as Christian Bohan.
 
For his latest collection for Christian Dior, the house’s creative director of menswear Kim Jones has channelled multiple ideas by the brand’s former creative director, Marc Bohan, the individual with the longest reign at the Paris couture house.

 
In a stylish and playful collection, Jones riffed on Bohan’s insignia ''CD' as a love heart; and utilized that designer’s graphics in sporty American summer looks.
 
“For the Spring 2022 men’s collection, we looked at a lot of archive Dior creations from the '60s by Marc Bohan, and revisited some House classics that we’d already chosen as a base for moving forward for the next season, a kind of refresh. We reviewed all the greatest hits and the things we have most enjoyed doing and reanimating the Christian Dior Atelier. We examined different techniques we'd done, such as the florals, and really focused on Marc Bohan’s designs from the '60s,” Jones told FashionNetwork.com.

Bohan succeeded Dior’s successor Yves Saint Laurent in 1960 when he departed for military service, and went on to guide the house for almost three decades until 1989, when he was succeeded by Gianfranco Ferré. Monsieur Dior, who staged his first show for the house on February 12, 1947, barely lasted one decade before succumbing in the spa at Montecatini, Italy.

 
Though Bohan was less critically acclaimed that many of Dior’s successors, both Jones and Dior’s creative director for womenswear, Maria Grazia Chiuri, have frequently referenced Bohan in their designs, dipping into his youthful approach, graphics and commercial savvy.
 
Moreover, Jones’ move from Vuitton to Dior has seen him flourish as a tailor – from the languid, ideally cut billowing pants to the hyper-crisp jackets cut with deep long lapels, cinched at the waist with matching belts.
 
Kim is also partial to big-cat print for knits, riffing with green-leopard cashmere cardigans or beige roll-collar sweaters. Again extemporising playfully on the archive since Monsieur showed leopard prints in 1947 in his debut Dior collection famously dubbed The New Look.
 
Other cool ideas included a crew-neck Aran sweater with a V-shaped cut to the neck-line, and a series of Eisenhower jackets with top-flap pockets and slanted lower ones. Seen in smooth reversible shearlings, fine wools or nylons.

 
An American mood – from the logo baseball shirts to one black varsity jacket in black and grey that read 'Christian Dior Atelier, Paris Avenue Montaigne 47,'' referring to the year of the house’s founding.
 
Best of all, Jones whipped up lots of eye-catching accessories – from several new Dior Saddle bags, worn with cross shoulder straps; a smart weekender christened the Lingot and some natty new B30 sneakers.
 
Bohan and Monsieur would surely have approved.