Dior designer lets her hair down and shows her roots

The French fashion house offered a love letter to Italy for its Cruise 2021 collection

Fashioning a love letter to her homeland … a design from the latest collection by Christian Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri is shown in Lecce, in the Puglia region of Italy where her father grew up.

It was almost like the fashion spectaculars of the recent past: a beautiful location, a purpose-built set, a troupe of world-class models in charming designs, even a live orchestra and dance troupe.

The only thing missing was the audience.

Christian Dior presented its Cruise 2021 show in the town of Lecce, in Italy’s Puglia region, having postponed the original March date as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.

Instead of a front row filled with famous faces and clients, fashion fans from around the world took to their laptops to watch a livestream of the event.

The result was as carefully choreographed from a filmmaking perspective as for the models and traditional Pizzica dancers that wove around them.

Dancers performed alongside models at the Dior Cruise show. (Photo: AFP)

Dior and its creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, wanted to forge ahead with the 90-look show, in a large part to acknowledge the local artisans that helped with its conception and execution.

For Chiuri, the collection had always been intended to be a love letter to her native Italy, and in particular this region, where her father grew up.

“It was a miracle to complete this collection, honestly,” Chiuri told Women’s Wear Daily ahead of the show.

“We felt it was very important for us to give hope for the future to all the people who were working in some way with us on the project.”

Wide leather corsets cinched many looks in the Dior collection.

Local embroiders and weavers had been working on the collection for months, even as the pandemic took hold.

Many of the resulting fabrics and designs had a humble, handcrafted feel.

Crochet and jute sundresses were underpinned by simple white short-sleeved shirts, and models sported kerchief headscarves. Embroidered coats and shearling gilets brought further folkloric charm.

All the looks, including the more ornate embroidered gowns, were grounded with chunky flat boots or sandals.

“Fashion has to be comfortable — that’s part of my DNA,” said Chiuri in a preview via Zoom.

“It’s important for the local people to understand the value of their tradition.

“Probably the most important thing that I understood during these four years at Dior — in Paris they’re so proud about their tradition, fashion is part of their cultural heritage.

“But we don’t have the same attitude in Italy. Probably it’s because these traditions are made by women at home, so there’s this idea that it’s domestic work. They don’t celebrate it.”

The show continued Chiuri’s strong feminist stance for the brand.

The illuminated set was built by local artisans Fratelli Parisi in the luminarie tradition. (Photo: AFP)

Artist and activist Marinella Senatore designed the illuminated set that took over the Piazza del Duomo in the town centre and included messages of female empowerment.

One thing is certain: the wide leather corsets that cinched many of the looks are the ideal post-isolation accessories.