By Noelle Loh,
In the hands of creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior has become recognised not only as a house of romance and couture craftsmanship, but also one that designs with the wants and needs of modern women in mind. Just look at its growing array of hit bags that keeps getting updated season after season. Together with the French luxury maison, FEMALE spotlights the latest styles to know.
A Maria Grazia Chiuri brainchild introduced in 2018, the Dior Book Tote has become so popular, it’s as good as omnipresent. After all, what’s not to love about a simple and practical shopper that’s roomy enough for all of one’s daily essentials, yet still ultra-luxurious and novel with ornate embroidery and – if one pleases – personalised initials? This Fall/Winter 2022, it comes in pleasing ecru with a lively, multi-coloured applique dubbed Jardin d’Hiver, or winter garden, that’s inspired by the wall tapestries in Christian Dior’s home.
Dior Book Tote embroidered cotton bag; vegetal leather corset; cotton and silk poplin shirt dress; D-Renaissance metal tiara with resin pearls; matching earrings with freshwater pearls, and rings; cotton socks; and Diorquake calfskin boots. All Dior throughout
Yep, that’s a tiger or, more specifically, Dior’s graphic toile de jouy tiger motif embroidered across the Book Tote. It’s yet another version of the bag available in Fall/Winter 2022 that explains why it’s such a bestseller: Like a blank canvas, it can be reimagined in countless ways so that there’s one for everyone.
Dior Book Tote embroidered cotton bag; cotton corset, top and skirt; D-Renaissance metal choker with resin pearls and matching multi-finger ring with crystals; and Walk’n’Dior cotton canvas sneakers
Vanity cases have gone from beauty-slash-travel accessory to trendy fashion staple in recent years – the structured silhouette exudes old-world elegance, while holding all of one’s day-to-night necessities neatly. The latest edition by Dior is hyper chic with its too-cute micro size, black-and-white embossed houndstooth pattern, and charms that spell out “Dior”.
Embossed calfskin vanity case; wool jacket and matching skirt; lace knit sweater; D-Renaissance metal tiara with resin pearls, and matching hand jewellery and ring; Lady 95.22 R1I acetate sunglasses; Dior Tribales metal earrings with resin pearls; and cotton socks
The Saddle, revived from John Galliano’s era at Dior only to incite Y2K fever and become one of the most hotly wanted bags around, needs little introduction. This season, expect it in denim with a Dior Brocart (or brocade) motif – a cool blend of old and new world chic.
Saddle denim shoulder bag, cotton poplin blouse, denim corset and matching pants, D-Renaissance embellished metal rings, and Dior Idylle patent calfskin ballerina flats with grosgrain buckle
Maria Grazia Chiuri’s newest bag collection, the Vibe, is an unexpected and unabashedly fun reinterpretation of sportswear in a suite of plush leather goods that covers all occasions. Clock the S-sized Vibe Zip bowling bag, which comes in a modern beige-and-black colourway this season; its Macrocannage embossed calfskin finish adding to its daytime elegance.
Vibe Zip small embossed calfskin bowling bag; wool jacket; cotton skirt; Dior Tribales metal earrings with resin pearls; D-Renaissance metal choker with resin pearl, and matching hand jewellery and rings; cotton socks; and D-Racer calfskin boots
Think of the Lady D-Lite as the relaxed cousin of the emblematic Lady Dior: It sports the same boxy shape and structured top handles, but comes in canvas, not lambskin. That’s not to say that it’s short on exquisiteness. Take this season’s black-and-beige rendition embroidered all over with Dior’s equally iconic toile de jouy pattern.
Lady D-Lite embroidered large cotton handbag, cotton trench coat, D-Renaissance metal hand jewellery with resin pearls, and matching ring with crystals
The feminine Jardin d’Hiver, or winter garden, embroidery also shows up on the Lady D-Lite this season.
Lady D-Lite embroidered large cotton handbag, vegetal leather corset, cotton and silk poplin shirt dress, D-Renaissance embellished metal rings, Jardin d’Hiver metal ring with resin, cotton socks and Diorquake calfskin boots
Lady D-Lite embroidered medium cotton bag, $7,000
This article is adapted from a story that first appeared in the Oct 2022 Reality Edition of FEMALE