Today, on day two of Paris Fashion Week, Maria Grazia Chiuri debuted her latest collection for Dior. For AW20, the Italian designer updated her feminist manifesto for the house, and, as always, looked to a series of female artists for inspiration. For those of you who couldn’t be there in person, don’t worry: we’ve rounded up everything you need to know.  

MARIA GRAZIA MADE A STATEMENT WITH THE SET 

This season Chiuri hung a truly outstanding series of neon signs bearing feminist statements from the ceiling of the showspace, with “CONSENT”, ‘When Women Strike, The World Stops’, and “Patriarchy = Repression” (louder for the people at the back) among the messages. Elsewhere, “We are All Clitoridean Women” riffed on written and painted works by this season’s collaborator Claire Fontaine (who in turn referenced Italian feminist Carla Lonzi), while “Women’s Love is Unpaid Labour” nodded in the direction of Silvia Federici’s 1975 essay Wages Against Housework.   

TIES ARE TOTALLY HOT FOR AW20

With the likes of Hedi Slimane and Miuccia Prada among the first pushing classic ties as part of their womenswear offerings, Chiuri’s inclusion of the style within the new Dior collection cemented it as a trend piece for AW20, with show-opener Ruth Bell and a number of other models all wearing looks finished with one. 

...AND SO ARE BANDANAS  

Bandanas have been slowly infiltrating fashion for a while now, with JW Anderson first debuting leather versions for SS19 and Gucci sending a bunch of models out onto the runway (or rather, into its carousel) at its AW20 show in Milan last week. Today, Chiuri presented Dior-monogrammed silk iterations and made all those with dreams of emulating 00s-era J.Lo come true. A tricky trend to nail, but fuck it: we’ll be giving it a go anyway.  

ADESUWA MADE HER RUNWAY RETURN

After she injured her leg last month, Adesuwa took to Instagram to hint that she might not make a full recovery in time for fashion week (“Try not to miss me too much #2moreweeksindaboot” read the post). Thankfully, however, the Dazed 100 model showed up at Dior today, dressed in a silk shirt patterned with polka dots, black suede trousers finished off with fringe detailing, and a tie. The look was complete with one of Dior’s signature book tote bags. 

THE COLLECTION WAS SEMI-AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL 

...as Maria Grazia Chiuri turned the lens on her own life and history for inspiration. This manifested in school uniform-like sets which saw boxy, checked jackets paired with flippy mini-kilts, feminine, semi-see-through dresses finished with dramatic fringing (another big trend for the coming season), and classic tailored styles updated from the historic house’s archives. Looks were finished with whale net knee highs, preppy Mary-Janes, and a series of chunky, rubber-soled boots.