Dior goes to Marrakech for Resort 2020
With Dior’s Cruise 2020 show being inspired by the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, when it comes to designers' travel-centric cruise collections, which they are just now starting to unveil, pulling inspiration from cultures not their own has become common practice.
The Moroccan city of Marrakesh, in particular, is no stranger to serving as a source of inspiration for Western designers, from interior design all the way as we can see into, clothing. For Cruise 2020, Christian Dior's Maria Grazia Chiuri staged the French house's runway show at a Moroccan palace built in the 16th century. The collection
featured many of the silhouettes that Chiuri has made her signature designs sincejoining the house; think mid century, nipped-in waists on frayed, floor-length dresses and skirts and tailored pants and blazers — these however, have been executed in new fabrics for the house. The show depicted earth tone ankara prints, which are wax-printed fabrics that are associated with traditional dress from a number of different African countries. These, were featured heavily in the collection and were layered with tulle, camouflage print and as imagined a bit of Christian Dior branding. With the story below, this collection should be viewed as an example of cultural appreciation.
The Moroccan city of Marrakesh, in particular, is no stranger to serving as a source of inspiration for Western designers, from interior design all the way as we can see into, clothing. For Cruise 2020, Christian Dior's Maria Grazia Chiuri staged the French house's runway show at a Moroccan palace built in the 16th century. The collection
featured many of the silhouettes that Chiuri has made her signature designs sincejoining the house; think mid century, nipped-in waists on frayed, floor-length dresses and skirts and tailored pants and blazers — these however, have been executed in new fabrics for the house. The show depicted earth tone ankara prints, which are wax-printed fabrics that are associated with traditional dress from a number of different African countries. These, were featured heavily in the collection and were layered with tulle, camouflage print and as imagined a bit of Christian Dior branding. With the story below, this collection should be viewed as an example of cultural appreciation.
From a Vogue article I learned that during 1960, Yves Saint Laurent, then the head of Christian Dior, designed a coat named for the Moroccan glamour spot. Marrakech is somewhat is part of the DNA of the house.
A couple of days ago, Maria Grazia went to North Africa to show a collection about luxury, globalism, and culture. The fabrics as mentioned above where designed and produced as a wax print in the Ivory Coast city of Abidjan by a studio/atelier named Uniwax. These are the real deal: double-faced, gloriously and intentionally imperfect prints which made a global statement that an African textile can embody luxury at the highest level. According to Vogue, a number of months ago Chiuri brought to Uniwax her toiles/ fabrics of past seasons, with her jungle creatures, wacky flora, and tarot card alluions—and asked Uniwax to design their versions of these motifs and to print in their ideal palette (one a mix of green and navy and emerald, the other navy/cream, as seen photographed in most of the collections pieces.
Not only was Dior’s Chiuri collaboration with Uniwax but also with, a Moroccan women’s textile and ceramics association called Sumano whom created the more tapestry-like woven pieces in the collection. The American artist Mickalene Thomas and the Jamaican-British designer Grace Wales Bonner each provided their own interpretation of looks in the collection, as well as a designer from the Ivory Coast named Monsieur Pathé’O, who was known for making Nelson Mandela’s shirts, designed a look for the collection featuring the late ANC leader’s face on the back. And Stephen Jones collaborated with a Ghanaian-British milliner named Martine Henry on the head wraps or turbans of unspecific ethnic origin.
There were dresses encrusted with Murano glass beads, because those very beads originated in Venice but found their way to Africa. There were interpretations of the Uniwax toiles in double-face cashmere and silk jacquard, so in other words, African prints reworked by small European mills.
It’s a lot of backstory to tell about some absolutely lovely, low-key clothes. But, as fashion is changing and the where, the why, and the how of design has never mattered more as today a days, in a world whose fashion consciousness has been working towards,sustainability most are focused on buying less and buy better, to invest in items made with care, respect, and love. We don’t need the digital imitations; we need the real deal. Christian Dior under Maria Grazia Chiuri’s guidance doesn’t have to try to be cool, because it’s right and that’s chic.
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