Dior in Dubai
In January, Christian Dior stunned the fashion world when it displayed its Spring 2019 Haute Couture collection in Paris, drawing its inspiration from the circus. The brand’s creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, brought the show to life inside a large authentic tent, complete with a troupe of all-female acrobats and performers from London-based acrobat company Mimbre and a punk-meets Pierrot make-up brief. The collection was a mix, drawing on romantic and muscular influences. It featured sheer, tulle, lots of black, white and red, and stripes that stood out next to the regal gold and white flowing gowns.
The French luxury brand announced in early February that it will be bringing the collection to Dubai and will be presented on 18 March. The runway show will feature looks from the couture show, as well as a few looks designed by Chiuri exclusively for the region. If the Dubai show is anything like its Parisian ‘Dior Dream Parade’ counterpart, then we are in for a huge surprise.
Chiuri is the first woman to ever lead the French brand and since her appointment in July 2016 she has used the Dior brand as a platform for conversation on women’s empowerment. She now has a host of celebrities pledging their allegiance to her feminist slogans. Take Chiuri’s ‘We should all be feminist’ t-shirts – inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s political essay – from her debut spring/summer 2017 collection for example. The slogan has now become a part of Dior’s core values. Prior to her appointment as artistic director, Chiuri spent 17 years at Valentino alongside long-term collaborator Pierpaolo Piccioli.