Tailoring Met Trekking For the Dior Men's Summer 2023 Collection

For their men's summer 2023 collection, Dior headed to the great outdoors. Understandably, there was plenty of floral French elegance involved. Contrasting that, however, was plenty of technical-inspired wear that toed the line between haute couture and GORPcore. Keen-eyed fans of Dior will likely recognise the brand's aptness for pulling inspiration from various subcultures. Obviously, this isn't a phenomenon that's exclusive to Dior — but under the watchful eye of Kim Jones, nobody does it quite like they do. Front and centre in this collection was smart suiting, technical accessories, shaggy fleece and printed patterns. Furthering the tailoring-meets-trekking were clever bags and smart sneakers, a visual spectacle that was one of the top moments of PFW.

53 total looks were sent down the runway, itself a verdant field with a garden in full bloom. There were 19,000 plants in total on the show set, hailing from 42 different species. They're not going to waste after the show either: Dior announced that they'd all be donated to the Val de Grâce to be planted in their own garden.

The looks themselves were an artful combination of Dior's exquisite tailoring and Kim Jones' love of travelling and the great outdoors. Standout pieces included zip-up jackets with intricate prints, smart suiting and sweaters, crisp above-the-knee shorts and some of the most luxurious technical bags you'll ever lay eyes on. The key nod to the house's history came through the grey and tea-rose tones used in many of the pieces, a tasteful salute to Christian Dior's childhood through the lens of the roses his mother famously grew.

From a footwear standpoint, there were hike-ready shoes that seemed to be equal parts Salomon, ASICS and Kiko Kostadinov, wellington boots made of neoprene and rubber, technical clogs and plenty more GORP goodness. Dior men's footwear designer Thibo Denis had a previous fascination with chunky, skate-inspired styles, but he seems to have shifted his attention to another piece of the market and set his eye on elevating the style of GORPy hiking footwear. If you want to check the kicks out in detail, we have a full recap of the show's footwear that can be seen right here.

When Kim Jones came out to acknowledge the crowd at the end of the show, it was another triumphant moment in a career full of them. Jones, alongside the late, great Virgil Abloh, is a boundary-pushing designer who's obliterated any demarcations between streetwear and high fashion (besides the price tags, of course) the star-studded crowd that included Justin Timberlake, David Beckham and J Balvin showered him with applause before departing into the Parisian afternoon.

You can expect the Dior Men's Summer 2023 collection to release next summer. For more from PFW, be sure to check out our recap of the Louis Vuitton SS23 show by clicking here.