The nature of the Cruise collection is for it to be a source of inspiration for people to travel and go on vacation; cruise collections usually happen in the weeks anticipating the beginning of the summer, as a transitioning period between the Spring and the Summer.
Although the most “predictable” thought would be that these Cruise collections make reference to warm weathers and fresh clothes to wear in a cruise vacation, the concept of these collections has been open to several interpretations as climate change, consumers’ interests, and fashion itself have offered a wide array of opportunities to dress when it comes to going on vacation.
Every summer, Maria Grazia, Dior’s Creative Director presents a highly anticipated Cruise collection. Maria Grazia goes above and beyond with her Cruise collections. She presents the work of the House of Dior in a venue that attracts international press, but she explores the culture, the architecture, the colors, the sounds, the flavors. Almost as an anthropology capstone project, Grazia looks into every detail of the destination she chooses for Dior’s Cruise collections.
In Sevilla, Spain, June 2022, there was a flamenco show, a celebration of Spanish craftsmanship that involved leather, engraving, lace, and an acknowledgement of flamenco sounds, attire, and colors.
In Mexico City, Mexico, May 2023, there was a dramatically spectacular tribute to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in a show that took place in the very same school where these two Mexican artists met.
The collection presented pieces with elaborated craftsmanship techniques with hundreds of years of history, embroideries that illustrate the culture and the political context of Mexico, and a party that far from being stereotypical or insensitive, was truly illustrative to an extensive study of Mexico’s culture, history and fashion.
This year, the Dior Cruise Collection was set to be presented in Perthshire, Scotland. The show took place at the terrace gardens of Drummond Castle and of the most impressive castles of the European Union built on a rocky outcrop by John, 1st Lord Drummond around the decade of the 1490’s.
“What’s the relation between the House of Dior and Scotland?” was one of the prevalent questions people raised as the date and venue were announced.
“Tartan is probably the only fancy fabric that resists changing fashions.” wrote Christian Dior in the Little Dictionary of Fashion.
The silhouettes and the cuts created dramatic and exaggeratedly wide sleeves, gathered and pleated skirts, and structured bustiers. The armors that these looks presented are a result of excellent tailoring with a rich selection of fabrics. Structured and architectural, while some were effortless and lighter.
Some of the looks were a nod to the punk culture that has relied heavily on inspiration from Romantic history and tartans. With a collection that relies heavily on historic elements and textiles with several hundreds of years of history, it would be very easy for these clothes to look outdated. But Maria Grazia and Dior's creative team give it an exquisite modern twist. It is the signature Dior’s saddle bags with embellishments, the jewelry, the accessory and the styling that “modernizes” some of these elements, inviting the customer of the 21st century to this Romantic world.
The muse
Another consistent step that Maria Grazia takes when creating these collections is getting inspiration from a muse of the period of time / destination that is the source of inspiration from the collection. For the 2023 Cruise Collection in Seville, Spain, the muse was Carmen Amaya, the 1926-born flamenco pioneer who performed in men’s clothing, high-waisted trousers and a matching bolero made a strong Political Fashion statement.
For the 2024 Cruise Collection in Mexico City, the muse was Frida Kahlo. Her self-portraits, her philosophy, and the way she presented herself to the world were all critical inspiration sources for this collection.
Now, for the 2025 Cruise Collection in Scotland (fashion shows present their seasons a year in advance). The muse was Mary, Queen of Scots, the only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scotland, who inherited the throne when she was only six days old! Maria Grazia revisits the Millefleurs motif, merging it with embroidery that features the unicorn and the thistle, both of which are symbols of Scotland.
“The close connection between France and Scotland goes back to the Auld Alliance, the treaty of mutual support made between the two countries in the 13th century. It established a dynamic cultural exchange, which was maintained over the following centuries. Many of the Scottish elite, and the Scottish clergy, were educated in France, and the finesse and flamboyance of French fashion, architectural design and celebratory festivities was introduced to Scotland.” (Clare Hunter, author of Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power*, which is at the heart of Maria Grazia Chiuri's inspirations)
The show
In 2024, the audience watching the fashion show online is as important, or perhaps even more so than those who are invited to experience the fashion show in person.
For quite a few seasons now, fashion houses have been live-streaming their fashion shows so that consumers regardless of their location or demographic, get to experience the fashion show live.
This has been an incredible opportunity to democratize fashion, giving consumers and fashion editors of small editorials a chance to have a voice on these shows and receive the collections at the same time as the A-list guests sitting on the front row in these shows.
Now, from the fashion house point of view, this means that there are so many more eyes watching the show live. And there needs to be elements that are engaging and surprising during the live-stream in a world when there are so many shows, TikTokers, and on Demand options fighting for the audience's attention.
Dior leveraged the inherited beauty of Pertshire, Scotland, acknowledging the multidimensional beauty that the venue offers while also focusing on the details of the clothes. These shows are not just fashion shows any more, they are short films, stories to tell, memories that will prevail in fashion history. And we are more than eager to see the next chapter.
When Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, she produced several pieces of embroideries. Maria Grazia retrieved inspiration from these embroideries and their meaning over the long years of the Queen's imprisonment.
