Dior will be staging its cruise collection designed by creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri on June 17 at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece. The site is famous for hosting the opening and closing ceremonies for the modern Olympics in 1896, as reported by WWD.
The Panathenaic Stadium was formerly a racecourse built in 330 B.C. Greco-Roman senator Herodes Atticus had it rebuilt as a 50,000-seat stadium in 144 A.D. In the 19th century, the venue was excavated. In 2004, it was once again used as an Olympic venue.
Dior has been granted permission by Greek authorities to stage photoshoots at various famed Greek sites including the Acropolis, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the Agora of Athens, the temple of Poseidon, and the temple of Zeus as reported by AFP. The house will collaborate with local creatives and artisans as part of the show and collection, something which Dior has made a habit of, including with its recent shows in Italy and Morocco.
As Europe begins its slow emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic, physical runway shows are becoming the gold standard for collection debuts again. Coach is planning an in-person show in Shanghai on June 3 and Saint Laurent is planning on staging a show in Venice in July.
This is not the first Dior show to take place at an iconic Greek landmark. The house presented its autumn/winter 1951 haute couture collection against the backdrop of the Acropolis.
Recently, the luxury house revealed its menswear resort collection by Artistic Director Kim Jones. The fragments in this resort collection are pulled from Dior’s rich heritage, stretching back to 1947. Leopard motifs, shown in that first collection, are woven or knitted; waists are belted, further defining the French House’s signature superlative tailoring. Floral patterns reference the luxury brand’s love for gardens and nature, while graphic insignia drawn from the 1960s. Gentle and subtle archival references are embedded in pieces that speak to the attire of a modern man – the Dior at the present moment.
Also Read: Kim Jones’ Dior Men Spring 2022 Collection Is Here
