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When Natalie Portman and Dior are placed together in close proximity, you can expect a floral reference to closely follow.
Such is the case for the flirty and botanical emblazoned A-line dress worn by the Academy Award-winning actress to Dior’s Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023 show in Paris.
Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Churi may have sought to recontextualise the wardrobes of Greek and Roman goddesses on the runway, however, in the front row, Portman’s old Hollywood-inspired ensemble proved why she was the consummate ambassador for the Maison’s feminine Miss Dior signature scent.
Sitting alongside her contemporaries, including fellow actresses and Dior “friends of” Alexandra Daddario and Rosamund Pike, the 42-year-old sartorially referenced the botanical fragrance notes of the perfume she’s been the face of since 2011 by dressing as the blooming bouquet bottled in the olfactory millefiori.
Eau so beautiful, indeed.
Befitting for the show’s location in the garden of the Musée Rodin, Portman served as the acme of Dior’s house codes in her ultra-feminine and minimally refined watercolour floral strapless gown steeped in timeless French elegance.
Underpinned by a white satin silhouette, Portman emulated the early days of Dior’s tenure by paying homage to Monsieur Dior’s preliminary design signatures once worn by the likes of Ava Gardener in the softly billowing mid-Century style.
Accented by a petite bow and protruding waist detail consistent with Dior’s ‘new look’ shape, the dress’ blurred botanical illustration offered a trompe l’oeil accent to the otherwise classic garment. A surrealist nod to the boutique of floral notes found within Portman and Dior’s luxurious Miss Dior perfume, indeed.
Earlier this year at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Portman took to the La Croisette dressed as a flower in a recreation of Christian Dior’s very own “Junon” dress from his Fall/Winter 1949/1950 collection.
The breathtaking gown featured a delicately embroidered strapless bodice and layers of intricate scalloped-hemmed silk tulle that sat like petals around Portman’s skirt.
With the dress, arguably one of Dior’s most famous creations, named after the Roman goddess, it feels like a very full circle moment for Portman to choose to allude to that viral moment at a collection presentation inspired by ancient mythology.
