
Mastering a luxury streetwear collaboration is a whole new ball game and Dior creative director, Kim Jones is a big-time player. With multiple successful collabs under his belt—Dior x Stüssy, Dior x Nike and Travis Scott's Cactus Jack collection, to name a few—it is no surprise that this collection's already gone viral. Kim Jones and Massimo Osti, founder of cult streetwear brand Stone Island, have joined forces to create a collection where high fashion meets high functionality. Opposites attract in this highly-anticipated collaboration, with the two influential fashion figures harmoniously blending the French fashion house's haute couture vision with the Italian streetwear brand's military-inspired aesthetic.
This collaboration gives us the best of both worlds, highlighting the expertise of each brand, by creating the perfect marriage between Dior's impeccable tailoring and Stone Island's functional detailing. In this capsule collection, common ground is found in fundamental elements and materials like silk, a military mainstay and a core component used in haute couture. The brands employs a novel garment dying process, unfamiliar to both, using Stone Island's signature dying technique in tandem with the French Atelier's experimentation with garment-dyed embroidery inspired by archival their haute couture looks—specifically from autumn/winter 1995 and spring/summer 2013.
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The central theme for the collaboration is 'The Alchemy of Colour', as alluded to by the colour chart present in the visuals. Signature hues and silhouettes like the spring/summer 1988 archive Stone Island Field Jacket in brand's distinctive raso gammato material, were remoulded and intensified with Dior's high fashion flair. The popular jacket originally realised in cotton and rubber, is now rendered with cotton silk and embossed leather. A seamless blend to achieve a garment that is streetwear in appearance but high end luxury in nature.

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The emblematic icons are united and incorporated into all the collaborative creations, placing the Dior written logo the familiar Stone Island Insignia, from the bottom of jacket sleeves and shorts to the compass logo-shaped bag. Additionally, evidences of the partnership are also planted in more subtle ways. For instance, the 'Double Pleat' tailoring motif, which originated from the house's spring/summer 1952 couture collection, incorporated with the defining structural elements of Stone Island's 'Dutch Rope' system.


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Contrasting traditions coordinate in floral appliqué detailing, masterfully sewn onto edgy bomber jackets, adding a soft touch to an otherwise very 'gorp-core' look. This is also seen in footwear, in the use of traditional, formal shoemaking elements, which drew inspiration from climbing shoes. Its influence is seen through elements like a thickened sole as well as the Stone Island's fabrication in cotton sateen adorned with the distinctive Dior Oblique design stitching. Another highlight is the circular leather trunk, donning a magnified Stone Island compass rose motif and embossed with the Dior written logo, each pieced expertly crafted by the family-owned Maison Sennelier.

The Dior x Stone Island collection is set to drop in selected Dior boutiques on 14 June, followed by a global release on 4 July.