Whether or not you believe in their ability to act as a portal into your future, Tarot cards have long held a fascination for those not satisfied with simply letting life unfold as it will. In fact, the trionfi deck dates all the way back to 15th Century France, Italy and Austria. By the 18th Century, in many circles, the cards had even taken on an occult aspect, which remains in effect to this day.

Now, a year into a global and deadly pandemic, surely the present offers little daily solace. So it was certainly savvy of Dior to look to the Tarot as the aesthetic and philosophical foundation for its Spring/Summer 2021 Haute Couture collection. It was a truly grand gesture by Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri, who hoped to reconnect with the soul of the world via a series of dresses based on abstract constructions of lace, velvet and vividly colored feathering, decisively casting off the shackles of pragmatism, for a sartorial journey into the fantastical and possible. In fact, the clothes are literally adorned with illustrations by Rome-based artist Pietro Ruffo, based on a custom Tarot deck that he created specifically for the collection.

Enlisting exalted Italian director Matteo Garrone for the accompanying Haute Couture S/S 2021 film was yet another masterstroke, as the 15:14 short stunningly conveys all the enigma and intrigue of the fashions themselves. He drew his inspiration from the 15th Century Visconti-Sforza tarot, illustrated by the venerable illuminator Bonifacio Bembo for the Duke of Milan, the notorious ‘Il Moro” who famously betrayed the Borgias to the French.

There’s plenty of debate on whether the Tarot deck can accurately reveal the future; yet there’s little doubt that the cards can provide insights and guidance, even by accident, as we move ahead into the unknown. And from the looks of Dior‘s S/S 2021 Haute Couture collection, we can confidently predict that springtime is going to bring significantly more beauty into our otherwise grey, virus ravaged lives.