Travis Scott and Dior have premiered the release of their fashion collaboration Cactus Jack x Dior.
As part of Dior Men’s Spring/Summer 2022 Collection, creative director Kim Jones has collaborated with rapper Travis Scott again for the release of the Cactus Jack x Dior collection. This comes after the rapper assisted Jones with the reveal of the Dior x Nike Jordan Air 1 back in 2019.
Travis Scott’s official stride into the fashion industry was a given, with his music label Cactus Jack having recently delved into the fashion world. Scott was also featured in Issue 2 of Bottega Veneta’s zine, which features current and rising pop-culture creatives.
“I met Travis six years ago and we’ve been in constant touch ever since. I started talking to Travis about the foundation he wants to set up to allow students who can’t afford to go to college to go to Parsons and fulfill their dreams, so I thought it was nice to then talk to him and ask to do something together.”
Source: Hypebeast
A small collection of the outfits would be auctioned off to the rapper’s Parson’s School of Design Fund. The fund is part of his Cactus Jack Foundation, which provides access and education to students who would otherwise be unable to fulfil their dreams.
Scott’s dedication to the collaboration was evident after a video was uploaded to Instagram showing the rapper stitching together his own samples.
“The precision that you have to have is not a joke”.
Source: Instagram
The Inspiration
The decision behind the Texas Desert theme was a given. Both Dior and Travis Scott have a heavy affiliation with the state. Christian Dior’s first stop in America from France was none other than Texas, with Vice mentioning how much he preferred it over LA. With Scott being born and raised in Houston, and Jones having wanted to celebrate his home state with a desert-inspired theme, the Cactus Jack x Dior collab occurred naturally.
American contemporary artist George Condo, best known for his figurative style, was also a part of the collaboration. His works were combined with Dior’s “Oblique” pattern and according to Highsnobiety, featured the artist’s handwriting. It was the rapper’s take on the Dior logo, which resulted in an alteration of Dior’s Oblique monogram to instead spell out “Jack”.
The runway’s set was an amalgamation of the childhood gardens of Travis Scott and Christian Dior. Alongside the desert sand mounds, there were sun-bleached roses and mushrooms that retained their colour closer to the ground. These were featured alongside cacti, which was a more obvious nod towards the rapper’s Cactus Jack label. Varying hues of pink, blue, and purple also adorned the ceiling above the runway to mimic the sunset.
A Neon Mirage
Travis Scott’s tour merchandise was also in the spotlight, through the paint-splashed T-shirts. These were hand-painted by Condo himself, and are part of the works to be auctioned off for the rapper’s Design Fund.
Particular attention was given to the re-tailoring of the Oblique suit, which sported open, high reaching lapels and Nehru-collars. Jones commented on this decision in a statement, saying,
“We have really gone back to looking at tailoring in a heavy way, especially the Oblique, which we’ve styled up in a different way, along with a flared trouser to give a very chic longline silhouette”.
The featured clothing came out in four colour schemes, with the standout feature being the neon ensembles. They featured translucent flower-patterned sweaters, coats, and the figurative art forms of Condo. Staying true to the desert theme, python-patterned pieces were featured amongst all the clothing sets. Models sported cactus brooches and imagery as a further nod to Cactus Jack.
Several jackets and bucket hat pieces also included the following quote:
“If you can read this I must love you to let you this close”
The Collection
Catch the full fashion show below:
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