Ballet Flats and Mary Jane Sneakers Dominate Dior’s Latest Men’s Collection During Paris Fashion Week
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Ballet flats and Mary Janes are not just for the ladies anymore – especially if you ask Kim Jones at Dior.
Yes, the bestselling women’s style is now gaining traction on men’s designer runways. And while Jones is not the first menswear designer to feature these shoe silhouettes in their shows as of late, he has worked to cement the trend in the men’s fashion zeitgeist for fall/winter 2024.
More from Footwear News
Bally Releases Sparkling Collection of Glitter-Adorned Ballet Flats
The Best Mary Jane Shoes for Timeless Style and Comfort - From Flats, to Platforms, and Pumps.
Echoing a dancing slipper while also drawing on masculine eveningwear traditions, Dior’s new men’s ballet flat is featured in a San Crispino leather construction in black. There’s also a softer silk or satin ballet slipper with elastic straps that go along the top of the foot, which features an all-over diamond quilting stitched upper in black, taupe, burgundy, and purple colorways.
Mary-Janes also made an appearance on the Dior Men’s fall/winter 2024 runway. For this collection, the silhouette was transformed with a silk-polyester Mary-Jane upper constructed on top of a sneaker bottom. This new style was seen on the runway in black, white, burgundy, purple, sky blue and red colorways.
But, once hearing of the inspiration behind Jones’ most recent collection for the French luxury house, these footwear moments this season do not seem so unexpected.
Indeed, the designer drew from the world of ballet for fall/winter 2024 – both from Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev, but also from his late uncle, Colin Jones. Colin, a former dancer with The Royal Ballet, went on to become a photographer after leaving the world of dance, and his images of Nureyev off-duty and in rehearsals informed this new collection.
“I was lucky to have these things in my life as a child and they stuck with me,” Jones said in a preview with FN sister publication WWD.
Nureyev, who happened to be the dance partner to Dior client and legendary ballet star Margot Fonteyn, was known for his flamboyant style. He would collect kaftans, kimonos and precious shawls that he enjoyed wearing in private.
Some of Nureyev’s person style informed the 40-look ready-to-wear collection that was seen on the Paris runway on Friday. Some of his more low-key pieces like ribbed knits, a robe coat with an extra-wide belt, twisted turbans and bulging zipped wool jumpsuits and shorts worked well with items from Jones’ Dior men’s playbook like his signature Oblique suit.
What’s more, Friday’s show also saw Jones’ first full line of haute couture for men at Dior. The 20-look couture section of the show was inspired by items from the catalogue of the Nureyev auction at Christie’s in 1995, as well as the Dior archives.
Launch Gallery: Dior Fall Winter 2024 Men‘s Collection, Photos
Best of Footwear News
Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
