Since his SS2017 collection titled “Sweet Rebel”, which was our introduction to the astounding vision and craftsmanship of Dennis Diem, we have been completely enthralled with his aesthetic and tenor. Browsing through his previous full collections and overall body of work is like a parade of ultimate glamour dresses, and one would think he couldn’t possibly create a dress even more spectacular than the last one. It’s safe to say that the level of anticipation for his SS2018 show “Les Antoinettes” was soaring as the gashouder room started to fill up.
Our excitement was met with instant elation as the first model walked out, striding to the beat in a nude lace gown with a train, adorned by sequins and shiny embellishments. Taking to the round stage positioned in the middle of the catwalk, she was aided by men smartly clad in black tie, handing her a diamond sprinkled cello to match her dress. As she began to stroke the cello, the rest of the models proceeded the catwalk in groups of three, taking us through various style and color themes to match the different stages in the life of Marie Antoinette. With this collection, Dennis Diem wishes to pay tribute to the glamorous and infamous French Queen, which he considers to be his ultimate muse. This surely doesn’t come to our surprise knowing that Dennis was authorized by the Paris Fashion Museum to study one of Marie Antoinette’s authentic corsets and has used it as a blue print for all of his corset designs ever since.
As the cello murmured on, we were treated to five different periods in the life of Marie Antoinette. Opening with the “Nude” theme representing the Queen as the young and innocent girl she once was, followed by “Pearl” which reflects the years in which she passionately displayed her fondness for pearls, glamour and luxury. “Black” touches on her personal hardships as well as the start of the French revolution, bringing us to “Red Blood” symbolizing her tragic fate ending up under the guillotine. Closing the show with “Gold”, Dennis highlights the retrospective greatness with which we remember her today.
The dresses are all unique and ultra-feminine, we feel like the FashionWeek organization can always count on Dennis Diem to bring some authentic glamour to the event which now often seems to be suffused with contemporary streetwear. And though we absolutely love the direction modern fashion design is taking, it sure is wonderful to enjoy collections like “Les Antoinettes” which exhibit classic, avant-garde gowns designed in a very current and modernized way.
The floor sweeping silky gowns such as the nude slinky dress with sequined patterns on the sleeves or the red long-sleeved dress with silk long skirt look like they came straight from the red carpet in Hollywood, and the even more extravagant numbers such as the black tule dress and wine red dress worn with feathers on the head definitely wouldn’t look out of place at Cannes film festival or the MET gala. The icing on the cake for us was the final golden gown striding down the catwalk, made up of thousands of hand cut sequins which were plated with 23 carat gold, sparkling like an Oscar trophy.
All of the outfits were complemented with jewelry by goldsmith Bas Verdonk, who used black and white pearls, agates and diamonds from Gassan.
As the models ascended the round platform in groups of three, the platform started rotating slowly to show the designs from every angle. Striking a pose, the men dressed in black tie who aided them while walking up the steps in those gorgeous killer heels came running back with huge paparazzi cameras, catching every shot as if they were larger than life movie stars. A lovely show element as it was, it did take the flow out of the presentation a little bit, as the discomfort for the models was quite visible and the rotating of the platform caused for a little jerk movement every time it started to turn. Nonetheless it was a spectacular show on the whole, with brilliant models who can walk in those sky-high heels like its nothing, allowing Dennis Diem to once again reaffirm his artistry and ingenuity.
If you would like to see Dennis Diem’s work up close or buy your very own gown, make your way over to X Bank in Amsterdam right now. Some of the dresses from this very collection are for sale there!
