It would have been easy to make his fifth anniversary as artistic director of Dior Men all about him. And it would've been justifiable too, seeing how Kim Jones has continuously crafted collection after collection of menswear offerings while tapping into Dior's archives and haute couture sensibilities. Jones' inclination to collaborate with other brands, designers, and artists have also helped widened Dior Men's reach.

Yet, the Dior Men spring/summer 2024 collection was far from an ego trip.

True to form, Jones once again referenced Dior's storied history. "Dior is an haute couture house: it is all about the clothes. At the heart of Dior is silhouette, shape, technique and fabrication of the very highest order," says Jones in the collection notes. "It's a culture we have inherited from womenswear past and applied to menswear present. And for the first time in our collections, it is a collage of influences from different Dior predecessors and eras we wanted to pay tribute to at once—together with some of our own. All are connected through texture and technique alongside some of the Dior pop icons, particularly the Cannage."

The show's staging seemed to suggest—on his fifth anniversary no less; a feat that not many can claim in fashion nowadays—that Jones was leaving it all out in the open. The entirety of the collection's 51 looks ascended from below the tiled floor and models stood waiting for their turn to walk along the grid's perimeter. There was no pretence in the spring/summer 2024 collection—no surprises, just well executed designs that cemented the Dior Men canon he's crafted five years ago.

The fit: Jones referenced a quartet of the house's former creative heads for the Dior Men spring/summer 2024 collection. Yves Saint Laurent's silhouettes were the guiding principle in the collection's look, particularly in the effortless, sweeping tailoring brought about by trousers cropped slightly above the ankles and at times designed with pleats for added volume. The collection's defining piece, the cardigan, was casually draped over shoulders in multiple variations of Cannage tweeds, Gianfranco Ferré-inspired ornate embellishments as well as dripping cabochons—the latter a Monsieur Dior nod.

Marc Bohan's play of textures informed the tactile elements of the collection. Tweed was the main vehicle used across a variety of pieces, expanding its use from just the traditional. It was seen on everything from summer-appropriate vests to all manner of the collection's bags and accessories, especially the iconic Saddle.

The details: Loafers—tweed or otherwise—were stamped with a new circular Dior logo derived from the Lady Dior hardware. The logo appeared as buckles on a number of bags too. Sandwich bags crafted in a selection of the collection's key fabrications would most likely be the novelty accessory of the season, and was most beautifully executed in supple leather decorated with the Cannage motif. The eye-catching beanies seen on a number of models, incorporated ronghua right in the centre. These velvet flowers were crafted by master craftsmen in the trade who worked closely with the Dior ateliers.

Three exceptional looks: Look 7's stunning Cannage tweed coat in signature Dior grey and paired with a pop of bold colour in the form of a beanie; the tailoring in look 31 that incorporated a bowtie appliqué on a pocket of the three-buttoned blazer; and the closing look 51 that was dripping with cabochons paired with high-fluo pink.

The takeaway: Who needs a collaboration when the past offers so much inspiration and content to remix for the now?

View the full Dior Men spring/summer 2024 collection in the gallery below.