The world of California skateboarders according to Dior and Eli Russell Linnetz Yesterday, Kim Jones and the Venice Beach designer explored the concept of California Couture

The hyper-saturated summer vibe of Venice Beach, the oversized silhouettes of early 2000s pop-punk, the gentrified streets of Dogtown, and the waterfront populated by skateboarders, hippies, surfers, and all manner of sunburned-skinned adventurers - it was this imagery that Kim Jones wanted to inject into his SS23 collection for Dior Homme, for which she called as guest designer the cool kids of all cool kids: the highly launched Eli Russell Linnetz, who, after reaping a string of successes collaborating with some of the best creatives on the contemporary scene and seeing his creations go viral in recent years, has now hit the mainstream with the capsule co-designed with the brand. Jones must have liked Linnetz and his ERL aesthetic quite a bit considering how Linnetz is one of the finalists for the LVMH Prize of which Jones is a juror and whose winner will be announced in June. Nonetheless, the success of the collection is beyond question, with the languages of the two brands blending seamlessly with each other in an apparent seamless way, dredging up one side of Dior, that of the 1990s, with references to the Gianfranco Ferrè era and its too-often forgotten couture.

Regardless of the language and the scenario with which Jones wanted to reread Dior's heritage this season, exploring it through the different sensibilities of the various guest designers, the designer's ability to focus on the product, to produce items connected by his common sensibility, so balanced between everyday and luxury, without getting lost in extravagance but also without ever fossilizing, remains extraordinary. But above all, keeping in mind that fashion is not an abstract thing but, rather, very solid, concrete, dropped into a reality where the public can appreciate it and not lost in who knows what remote and fanciful planet.