The Dior Common Thread podcast series represents a fascinating new avenue for exploring the collaborations initiated by Kim Jones since his arrival at Dior. Each episode will present a compelling encounter with one of the inspiring figures who have participated in his endlessly original reinventions.
In conversation with Ed Tang, each recounts their unique experience and shares their singular vision, providing an immersive new window into the world of Dior Men.
In this episode, Tang speaks with ERL’s Eli Russell Linnetz a week after his ‘California Couture’ show with Kim Jones for the Dior men’s Spring 2023 capsule, marking both the House’s debut co-branded collection and the first ever runway show for the young designer.
Melding nods to couture, film, music, art and skateboarding, the pioneering show revisited Dior codes through playful nods to the designer’s own SoCal roots, referencing everything from “Home Alone” to family Christmases in ‘90s America, while padded skater shoes adopt the tones of a California sunset.
Linnetz, who describes watching the show from backstage with Kim Jones, still sees the experience as being a bit surreal. “Some things in life feel like a dream, but also when you put so much work into it there’s a bit of grounding that happens through the process,” he tells Tang.
The designer also shares how he was introduced to Kim Jones through their mutual friend Ronnie Cooke Newhouse. In the space of a 45-second phone call, they had agreed to do the collaboration.
“[Kim] said, “Do you want to do this?” and I said, “Yes.” And I think it was the next week or the week after, the whole Dior team arrived and we designed the collection at my studio,” says Linnetz, revealing that it’s the freest he’s ever felt with any collaboration. “It was a masterclass in how to run a fashion house,” he adds.
It’s been a long time coming for Linnetz, who started out in film but had always dreamt of doing something in fashion. Born and raised in Venice Beach, California, where the Dior show took place, the multifaceted designer after graduating attended film school and soon found himself directing music videos and stage tours for Kanye West. Working for West, Lady Gaga and other high-profile personalities, Linnetz, who had also started shooting fashion campaigns, was yearning to create something for himself. In 2018, he started ERL from nothing. And after turning to Adrian Joffe from Comme des Garçons for advice, “What started out as me making a T-shirt for the opening of Dover Street Market L.A. turned into a whole brand.”
