Dior Cruise 2020 Collection

The Moroccan city of Marrakech is serving a source of inspiration for many designers’ travel-centric cruise collections. Dior opted for the warm weather and laid-back location for the event. Maria Grazia came to North Africa to show a collection about luxury, globalism and culture. 

Nipped in waists, floor length dresses and skirts rendered in new fabrics were featured amongst the collection. Created in toile and wax-printed fabrics to acknowledge the creation and history of traditional dresses worn in African countries. Motifs of lions, winged mythological creatures, glowering birds and references to the number and words associated with tarot cards were layered evoking the grace and strength of these skilled horsewomen. 

Describing her collection as “a world map”, Chiruri invited a number of specialists to collaborate on her show. Focusing on wax franc, she worked with Grosfilley and Uniwax on weaving the codes of Dior not the fabrics to create new interpretations. British-Jamacian designer Grace Wales bonner and African-American artist Mickalene Thomas reimagined Dior’s.

Dior has a historic tie with Marrakech which suggests the connection and and influences amongst this collection. In 1951, Christian Dior created the ‘Maroc’, a white tulle dress and coat with silver embroidery inspired by the cooling white colours of the city. Prior to the show, Choir described Marrakech as a cultural meeting point between the European and African continents: the perfect stage for the message she wanted to convey.