The Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy was transformed into a blacked out amphitheatre for the Dior Homme show on Saturday afternoon, its floor a gravel pit encircled and intersected by an inlaid wooden runway. A harsh contrast to last season’s bright, airy setting in the Carreau du Temple, the Fall Winter 2010 presentation was blanketed in a bleak darkness, with an industrial “halo” of Thierry Dreyfus‘s lighting rigs looming above the arena.

Entitled “Coal”, the show was an inspired study of the monochrome, and Kris Van Assche worked in total looks of black, ecru, grey marle and charcoal. On a base of crisp collared shirting and cuffed trousers in either pleated volumes or straight legs, Kris showed an extensive range of luxurious jackets and coats in many different shapes but unified in their cashmere, leather and wool fabrications with a languid fluidity.

Peak collared trenches and pea coats ended with unexpectedly pointed hems, blazers wrapped around the chest and continued into scarves, and a dinner jacket was given a third lapel in contrasting fabric. Self-striped silks and cottons created a textural highlight in more formal pieces, and flashes of silver came stitched into shoulder seams, on tie stripes and from long zippers on hooded coats and blousons.

Almost bare of accessories, the looks were worn with a low dress shoe, sometimes laced with a monkstrap over, and several floor-length coats swept aside at the waist to reveal a leather bag hooked to a belt loop (seemingly keeping a Bible safe).

Choosing Parisian technicians Mode F to develop his soundtrack for both the Dior and Kris Van Assche shows this season, Kris was able to engage personally in the process through their intuitive methods, to create the pulsing power beats of both his shows (listen in the video below). Odile Gilbert gave the models messy, textured hair – adding a boyish charm to the heavy, masculine collection – and Aaron de Mey delivered with clean, simple Dior makeup.

Taking the helm in the wake of a revolution at Dior, Kris has proven himself – creating the world of an intelligent and contemporary gentleman – a modern traveller. The slick production was a testament to the house and to Kris’s ongoing realisation of their vision, subverting their classic codes to redeliver fashionable, elegant garments in unexpected, luxurious ways.

Show Details:

MUSIC: MODE F

PRODUCTION: EYESIGHT

HAIR: Odile Gilbert

MAKEUP: Aaron de Mey