#PerfectDiaries: Susie Lau’s love for Paris and Christine and the Queens, up close at Dior’s Haute Couture AW23 spectacle.

Susie Lau is a seasoned fashion veteran. Having been through multitudes of fashion show seasons, she has pinned down her pre-show routines to the nearest second. For Haute Couture week, Susie’s hectic schedule sees her in a variation of situations - quick changes, quick make-up retouches in the car, and basking in the glorious sunshine on the streets of Paris in the quick moments between shows.

For Dior’s Haute Couture show, photographer Alexia Mavroleon captured her in the moment of getting ready for the show, as we become a fly on the wall, following Susie in the rush of adrenaline (and Parisian traffic), and sharing the little hacks that help her move swiftly and getting camera-ready. Witnessing the meticulous attention of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior Haute Couture collections, and the development of the space with Marta Roberti, embroidering the show space into a utopian oasis of glamour.

13:30: Getting ready to go to Dior Couture in my hotel room in Paris.  As a rule of thumb, I *try* to give myself at least half an hour to get ready for a show, but this was a change-and-go situation.  Vaguely panicked phone call to the hotel because I don’t have my show invite (they found it in the end!).  Lacing up these very excellent patent flats with grosgrain ribbon.  

13:55: Taking a moment to appreciate the EPIC EMBROIDERY on my coat from the pre-fall collection which was shown in Mumbai, celebrating the enduring relationship between Dior and Indian artisans.  The metallic threads match up with the chevron metallic wrap skirt, loosely based on a sari skirt.  It’s 24 degrees outside but I’m going to wear the coat just because it’s SO intricately beautiful.  Carrying a very-lady top handle bag with that signature Dior cannage leather.

14:10: Snaking way to show and inevitably doing make-up in the car.  Can’t stop blotting face with these Dior oil-blotting papers because I’m OCD about shiny face.  

14:30: Got to about two blocks from the show venue and decided to WALK.  All the better to “peacock” in the fabulous coat.  Paris in general is very walkable.  I always wish I had the time to slow down and walk more in the city.

14:40: Finally enter the Musée Rodin, Dior’s longtime haute couture venue of choice.  I always love seeing some of the sculptures before walking into the gardens where Dior builds their set.  Bump into my friend Nicole Warne who is chic in all-black Dior.  

15:00: The show begins and it’s a mediation on the idea of goddesses. It's a word that can seem like a fashion cliché but Maria Grazia Chiuri dived deep into the goddess of antiquities. Dior’s goddesses don column like shift dresses which seamlessly segue into capes, in statue tones of cream, ivory and alabaster. There’s a sixties shine with metallic embroideries of pearls and silver threads.  Haute couture can often be seen rom the outside as OTT and extreme. MGC’s couture has real clients in mind and is deliberately more subtle. I also loved the Fever Ray and Christine and the Queens soundtrack.  

15:30: When I was exiting the show, I went up-close to the walls of the set and realised the entire thing was embroidered. Conceived by the artist Marta Roberti, who dreamed up a landscape of flora, animals, and goddesses.  Floored by the scale of the embroidery, all done by the Chanakya School of Embroidery in India, which Dior has had a longterm partnership with.  The installation at the Musée Rodin is actually available for the public to go and see it until July 9th.