Ever since taking on the role of artistic director at Dior Homme in 2007, Kris Van Assche has been widely celebrated for his ability to take old aesthetics and reinterpret them for contemporary tastes. By borrowing elements from the past and inserting them into his urban, minimalistic designs, Van Assche relies on an interesting mix of heritage and innovation that has earned him famous fans like Robert Pattinson and A$AP Rocky, to name a few.
For Summer 2017, Van Assche has taken on a whole new level of creativity, tapping Japanese artist Toru Kamei to collaborate on a series of capsule pieces ranging from suits and shirts to denim, footwear and ‘dark light’ leather goods. The Tokyo-based painter, who specialises in botanical still life, meticulously rendered these items with beautiful paintings of arranged florals, butterflies and skulls, all of which are common symbols of art from the medieval period. Together with the harnesses, studs, cut-outs and frayed red-thread elements, these classical artistic styles offer an almost-poetic spin on the gothic theme.
The capsule collection was presented along with the rest of the seasonal collection, in which Van Assche once again turned to the New Wave era — a favourite time from his childhood — for inspiration, including punk-inspired touches he recalled seeing when he was growing up in Antwerp. The entire collection is now available at Dior Homme boutiques across Hong Kong.
Dior Homme, Shop B57-B58 & B66-B67, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road, Central, Hong Kong, +852 2162 8008, dior.com
Dior Homme, Shop 216-271, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, +852 2790 6192, dior.com
This article is presented by Dior.
