Dior Homme: Suit Genealogy

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Craft

Located in Northern Italy and developed through a close collaboration between the Parisian design studios, Dior Homme creative director Kris Van Assche works from the sketches of each Dior Homme suit initiating five weeks of work.

An exclusive choice of fabrics are presented with hand cutting, and then hand sewn to ensure high quality traditional animal fiber interlining sewn, intricate pressing of the shoulder line, invisible holding stitches, top collar insertion following long-held rules, reverse seams and buttons sewn by hand, constant quality control.

Sketch & Pattern

The Dior Homme studio sends the manufacturer the technical elements necessary for the creation of a piece designed by Kris van Assche. Upon receipt, a paper pattern is produced for each design. It will serve as the base for the execution of unique pattern blocks, cutting the fabric, and devising size grading using computer technology. Selected from a choice of traditional Italian fabrics or very inventive Japanese ones, each bolt of fabric is the subject of an intense quality control before being laid out in stacked layers on a computer-controlled cutting table.

Cutting & Assembly

Cutting out of all the elements of a suit is trusted to a single machine. It's the guarantee that the use of a single piece of fabric can provide. The metal pattern blocks for cutting out top collars and revers are exclusive to each model. These elements, especially characteristic of Dior Homme suits, are then cut out by hand. The traditional assemblage of the three constituent elements of the body of a Dior Homme jacket (lining, fabric, interlining) is an expression of the quality of construction that comes from the couture spirit of the house of Dior. The inner construction of a jacket is its soul. Dior Homme jackets are entirely mounted. The canvas gives the jacket its elegance, its lightness, but also its substance and hold. The mounting operation is one of the most delicate and requires a level of experience that only a long tradition can guarantee. The interlining, the internal part between the fabric and lining, is essential here. Its composition, based on high-quality materials, is minutely studied. Similarly, for the Dior Homme sleeves, the interlining is made up of five elements, all of natural origin.

Basting & Mounting

an operation essential to the elegance of the suit. Unlike the majority of factory-made suits which use iron-on interfacing, dior homme suits are entirely basting allows for the perfect positioning of the mounting on the fabric and obtaining a stiffness subtly adjusted to the lines of the body. Entirely made of natural materials, the mounting must be washed and dried with care to maintain its strength and elasticity. As a standard, mountings come in camel fibers and horse hair, just as in bespoke italian suiting. With the treatment of mountings being crucial, the task is handled by a specialized team. The mountings are then assembled by hand on a ribbon in order to balance the more and less rigid zones of the jacket. The strengthening panels are sewn first, these are then sewn in between the outer fabric and the lining.

Setting of collar and sleeves

before sewing the sleeve to the body of the jacket a shoulder pad is placed on and sewn to the interlining. The shoulder is further reinforced with a special piece called 'rollino'. This strengthens the shoulder and ensures the characteristic hang of a dior homme jacket. The armhole is sewn by hand, ensure perfect wearability and impeccable comfort. The sleeve head is tacked in with a line of stitches from top to bottom of the shoulder. The collar is tacked and sewn by hand, starting with the notch of one revers and moving to the notch opposite.
Once all the outer seams are finished the lining is sewn in by hand. Each jacket is then carefully inspected by an artisan as the tacks are being removed.

Finishing & quality control

the finishing of a dior homme suit necessitates numerous hours of work. Buttons are sewn individually by the expert hands of the artisans, while the buttonholes are produced by machine to ensure the clean, sharp look that characterizes each suit.