Kris van Assche of Dior Homme reflects on the house know-how at Paris Fashion Week

Kris van Assche marks his ten years at Dior Homme by shining the spotlight onto the fashion houses' technical know-how championed by its workshop located at 3, Rue de Marignan in the 8th arrondisement of Paris.

His reflections on the process and proportions form the basis of the Spring/summer 2018 collection, highlighting the learned deconstruction and then the reconstruction of the Dior Homme costume this creating impeccably controlled volume effects.

While the designer harks back to the house's traditions, he manages to produce a collection proposing a feeling of innocence emanating from a summer atmosphere, and resulting in a fusion of sportswear and tailoring.

Carved in black wool ottoman, a sculpted and close-fitting blazer inspires many variations, becoming in turn a long summer coat, a jacket without back or sleeves, and a tailcoat. The base of a Dior man jacket is cut to turn into a polo shirt or shirt, or attached directly to the waist of a wide pants creating an urban trompe l'oeil.

As an echo in the transition to adulthood, college details merge with the basics of tailoring: a jacket with bomber sleeves, a logo emblazoned with laurel branches printed on a sweater, or mesh with argyle patterns worn with naive Gothic jewellery.

Mounting points and stitching are used as ornaments, while a monochromatic ribbon displaying the workshop address appears along with the workshop logo, in detail on hooded coats and on the Bags in grained nappa leather.

Ribbed edges and sportswear stripes are among the other key details.

Drawn portraits, hooded silhouettes and dark orchids bring touches of cyan and yellow to a palette worn by vermilion red, burgundy, camel and sky blue.

Pictures courtesy of Dior.