Since spirituality has become a rising trend in lifestyle over the past few years, it’s no surprise that high-fashion brands such as Dior incorporate elements of traditional spiritual practice into their creative direction. In its Spring/Summer 2021 haute couture collection, Dior explores elements of the tarot and beautifully depicts the major arcana through stunning ensembles.
In the tarot, the major arcana are twenty-two cards illustrating significant moments and archetypes we experience in life. For example, the Emperor would represent our interactions with authority figures, and the Lovers explain our experiences with love. Every color and symbol depicted on the card carries meaning that influences the interpretation. There are hundreds of different tarot decks with entirely different images to represent the major arcana in the modern-day, but the main symbols remain the same. Dior is no different than any other tarot-deck creator in the way they chose to depict their characters.
Heavily influenced by the Italian Visconti-Sforza Trionfi cards, the looks are all rich with inspiration from traditional Italian court fashion. But some looks are modernized, like the revealing plunging neckline the Devil wears, or the pop-art shapes on le Fou, or the Fool.
With La Lune, Dior chose a heavy-weight luxurious fabric in a warm silver color. The neckline resembles two paths that become one when meeting the bodice, and the dress includes a long train. Traditionally, the Moon card represents a choice between two paths and the long journey that spans a lifetime. While the dress subtly illustrates this through its cut, Dior clarifies those who do not know the tarot with a large yet simple moon hairpiece.
Most interesting is their depiction of the Death card. While dark colors are associated with such a negative thing to most people, the tarot actually uses this card to signify rebirth and change. In the traditional Rider-Waite deck, the card’s colors are soft, light greys, and blues. Knowing this makes Dior’s decision to create a tulle gown in blueish grey accented with silver crystal embroidery make more sense.
The Hanged Man, or Le Pendu in Dior’s collection, traditionally wears a blue shirt and bright red pants. It’s meaning suggests we should change our perspectives to release ourselves from feeling stuck. Dior dresses their character in thick, jacquard chinos and a lighter blue top finished with sheer sleeves. This transition from heavy-weight fabrics to sheer and lighter ones reflects the Hanged Man’s transition to feeling lighter and gaining clarity.
Throughout the entire collection, Dior elevates the tarot to become regal through its subtle symbolism in every choice, from the material down to the embellishments. For those who are not familiar with the tarot, Dior still clarifies the roles and incorporates traditional symbolism through the props, makeup, and accessories when styling the looks.
With such a high fashion brand, it was beautiful to see them find the delicate balance between taking creative liberties and modernizing such an ancient practice like Tarot while staying true to its symbols and the meanings of the cards themselves.
If you’d like to view the entire mystical collection, the film is available on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/2NYqg0h
Words by Erica Detlefs
Graphic by Emily Tobias