Call it a 'master plan' if you will—it's pretty clear now that Kim Jones had been setting into motion a defining strategy at Dior Men. The artistic director seems to have a consistent two-prong plan of attack with regard to the house's menswear as well as shoes and accessories each season.
If Dior Men's ready-to-wear is a constant reminder of the house's couture sensibilities—the intricate handiwork treatments, deftly hand-finished garments and expert manipulation of fine fabrications—and in ways that stretches the capabilities of its artisans, the shoes and the accessories take on already familiar shapes but updated for the now.
The Saddle bag was once a forgotten women's handbag. Created by former Dior creative director John Galliano for the summer 2000 collection, the peculiarly shaped bag was a favoured accessory by almost every it-girl of the early noughties, before it was tucked away into obscurity as an onslaught of other it-bags came to the fore. It was a resurgence of pre-loved items that revived the Saddle bag's popularity and it hasn't stopped since.
Jones's interpretation of the once women's-only bag proved that the Saddle bag had more to offer. The Dior Men Saddle bag stays true to the original shape but the top handle has now been replaced with an adjustable strap that allows it to be worn across the chest. It's also been topped off with an era-defining hardware and fastening mechanism courtesy of a creative partnership with Matthew Williams of 1017 ALYX 9SM—a key element differentiating the Dior Men Saddle bag from that of the one that sits in Dior's womenswear universe.
It has been three years since then, and it's time for an update. While small and mini iterations of already established bag designs (including the Saddle) have been making the rounds for a couple of years now, Jones decided to go in a different direction for summer 2021.
The aptly named Maxi Saddle is the biggest interpretation of the Dior Men Saddle bag yet. It retains all the functions and design elements of the Kim Jones 'original' but, of course, power-packed with more storage space. An updated feature of the Maxi Saddle is the addition of a smartphone case situated along the shoulder strap. The zipped case is removable and has been designed in such a way that one's smartphone (or anything really) is always protected and within easily accessible reach.
Because of its more robust size, the Maxi Saddle also now triples up as a messenger bag, expanding its wearability aside from a crossbody and over-the-shoulder. The bag may look like a blown-up version of its predecessor but its functionality has also been elevated. Is bigger, then, better? In this case, it just may be.
The Dior Men summer 2021 collection is now available in Dior Men boutiques.
