Dior Cruise Collection 2022: Couture meets Athleisure
Cups of fire along the centre of the oval stadium served as the only source of light before Greek-American singer Ioanna Gika gracefully came down the steps to finally open the show in front of a live string orchestra.
The Dior Cruise Collection 2022 invited the public, a small audience live and big numbers in front of the screens, to the capital of Greece. It is hardly surprising that a strong influence of the country and its history runs like a literal golden thread through the collection. After all, this is not only the birthplace of antiquity, but also the stadium, built in 330 BC, that hosted the Panathenaic Games, the most important event of ancient Athens.
In 91 looks, Dior's creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri fused athleticism and couture as the house's signature codes met sporty silhouettes, asymmetrical cuts and a traditionally Greek colour palette of white, blue and gold. While the majority of the collection is kept light, it's the accessories in the form of weekender bags and rugged boots that offer contrast in accents of black.
To keep moving has been the big theme of the past few months. In times when freedom was found either in one's own home or close-by nature, everyone was running their laps there, just like the models in the show. No wonder the athleisure trend found its way to Dior. Dresses in simple, monochrome materials featured zip pockets and drawstrings at the waist creating a soft feminine silhouette. Strong prints in bright blue and white meet lemon yellow and bottle green in the sporty ensembles consisting of sweatpants, leggings, hoodies, sneakers and white socks, whose banner above the shoes is the ultimate eye-catcher.
Of course, there are also the pieces in the 2022 Cruise Collection that Maria Grazia Chiuri's Dior is known for. An elegant two-piece in navy blue, A-line skirts in anthracite or white-grey coral print, and a white suit reminiscent of Marlene Dietrich are emblematic of the unmatched craftsmanship of the French atelier. Tailoring, however, is not the only homage to the founder of the Maison.
Christian Dior himself loved to travel and was always keen to show his creations outside France. For the first time in 1951, models and Dior's employees made their way to Athens, where the famous photos on the Acropolis in Dior Haute Couture gowns were taken. Therefore, it can’t be a coincidence that the Panathenaic Stadium offers a perfect view of the Acropolis, right?
A new addition to Dior's rich textile catalogue are black leather harnesses with silver studs, worn over simple white shirts as well as heavily patterned dresses. In contrast to overt messages like "We Should All Be Feminists", the accessory can be interpreted as a subtle symbol of female empowerment. A theme that the designer has been incorporating for years. A stylistic outsider piece for the French maison, but a hot candidate for an influencer trend on social media.
While the entire collection can be seen as an ode to Greece, it's the final looks in particular - iridescent pleated robes in the Hellenistic style of the Peplos dress, sometimes worn over skintight longsleeves - that expertly fuse the land of antiquity and mythology with Dior's craftsmanship.
At the end, the models presented the finale, closely walking together and accompanied by an opulent live performance and spectacular fireworks. Maria Grazia Chiuri, dressed in all white with no mask, showed her gratitude to the applauding audience. At that moment, there was hope that fashion shows are finally back.
