Dior to stage Cruise 2021 show in Lecce, Puglia
At a press conference just Monday this week, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pietro Beccari, Christian Dior’s creative director of the women’s collection and the CEO, respectively, hosted a video conference announcing the Paris house’s cruise and Spring Summer 2021 plans.
The house has decided to go ahead with their cruise show in Puglia and plans for a Paris show in September, making for what will most likely be their first major fashion show since the coronavirus outbreak.
The cruise collection, which was originally slated to have taken place in May, will be held in the baroque splendour of the Piazza del Duomo in Lecce, Italy, on July 22 instead, and only friends and family of the brand will be there in person to witness it happening.
However, Beccari stressed that Dior doesn’t simply believe in the relevance of fashion shows, but the network of workers and businesses they are supporting. Italy has been particularly hard hit by the Covid-19 crisis, and the brand wants to account for the artisans it employed for the Cruise 2021 collection.
“We would like to send a message of support, hope and rebirth to the world; to the big suppliers and the small ones. Many still don’t know how to survive, so this move is so important for the artisans that we need to preserve. We want to give them a reason to restart,” Beccari said, who are currently working right now to meet the deadlines.
“It’s the first time Dior [will stage a] show in a big way in Italy. Supporting Italy and the Puglia region – which is on the verge of bankruptcy – is important to us,” Beccari said, referring to the list of people involved in the show, from artists, filmmakers, musicians, electricians, to models, photographers, hair stylists, make-up artists, and production.
Similarly, Chiuri holds a personal connection to the Puglia region. It was the birthplace of her father and she her summers there as a child, currently owning a second home in the area today. “It’s very important to me to emphasise how much craftsmanship there is in Puglia and reinvest in it. So many people depend on our work,” she said.
The Puglia show will take place in compliance with Italy’s Covid-19 health and safety measures.
Baccasri stressed the importance of a live runway, stating, "The first one is that for Maria Grazia and I, luxury is emotions. When it comes to fashion, nothing carries the emotion of a real fashion show.”
"We would like with this to send a message of hope, of optimism, and for some people, rebirth after this period of difficulty."
As for other brands in September, Burberry announced plans for a live Spring 2021 show without an audience, while New York based brands like Marc Jacobs and Micheal Kors have opted out of the runway next season.
