Maria Grazia Chiuri headed to Marrakech to present her Cruise 2020 collection; a place that has a long had a place within Dior’s history and a place that is currently a crossroads for cultures across the world.
The Dior Cruise show for 2020 took place on April 29th in Marrakech
Setting up her runway in one of Morocco’s most famous cities in one of its historic landmarks – the 16th century El Badi Palace – Dior’s Creative Director’s collection reflected not only the two’s closely entwined history but also her own fascination with African cultures, art, designs and prints.
In fact, the French fashion house stated: “With this collection, she sought to dialogue with the real and imagined landscape of Morocco, at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Europe and Africa, as a dream destination for artists, poets, writers and eternal adventurers.”
As the models took to the runway, Chiuri’s vision materialised didn’t disappoint. Prints in muted earthy tones – from leafy greens to sandy browns and dusty pinks – dominated, and these were cut into everything from modest gowns, strapless sweetheart neckline dresses, two-piece suits and so on. Clashing and contrasting the designs only made for more striking, eye-catching looks from Dior.
In keeping with this outdoorsy colour palettes was the wildlife prints, from jungle plants to fierce lions and giant winged creatures added an almost mystical feel. Evening looks put a twist in the daytime styles by placing the same prints on top of darker topes, from forest greens to midnight blacks.
Looks were completed with sandals, animal motif jewellery, printed hair accessories and bags to match.
When designing the collection, Dior’s Creative Director teamed up with numerous influential figures. Chuiri worked with one of Africa’s leading designers, Pathé Ouédraogo when created a tribute shirt to Nelson Mandela.
She collaborated with artists such as Grace Wales Bonner and Mickalene Thomas, and took notes from anthropologist Anne Grosfilley, the world-renowned specialist in Wax, collaborated with the company Uniwax.