Before the Olympics, the Fabulous French Fashion Flex
Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, Hermès and Louis Vuitton have turned cruise shows into diplomatic currency.
fashion reviewBefore the Olympics, the Fabulous French Fashion FlexChristian Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, Hermès and Louis Vuitton have turned cruise shows into diplomatic currency.The Christian Dior cruise show at Drummond Castle in Perthshire, Scotland.Credit...Lesley Martin/ReutersSupported byByVanessa FriedmanWhen is a fashion show not just a fashion show? When it is a vehicle for cultural diplomacy.At least this appears to be the case with the cruise (or resort or pre-spring or whatever you want to call them) destination extravaganzas that have taken place over the last month. These events increasingly serve to position the big five brands that hold them less as mere fashion houses and more as national ambassadors to the world: billion-euro avatars of influence on unofficial state visits.Once upon a time, back when this interstitial season was invented to bridge the gap between the fall and spring runway shows, cruise collections seemed to contain clothes that were more wearable or practical than designs shown during the regular seasons. Now, at least in the hands of the mega-brands, the clothes (or at least their wearability) are almost besides the point. The point is the spectacle, access and power they represent — of all kinds, including that of celebrity and social media. Indeed, the front-row stars are as much an attention-grabbing part of the shows as the shows themselves.In a world of fashion micro-trends, that may be the biggest trend of all.This was especially true this season, as the shows of the five big heritage French brands — Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Dior and Balenciaga — served as de facto calling cards for the Paris Olympics, which is being touted as the most “fashion” Olympics ever.It is no coincidence that two of those brands, Louis Vuitton and Dior, are owned by LVMH, which is a top-line sponsor of the Olympics. Nor is the fact thatBernard Arnault, the mastermind of LVMH, has explicitly stated that he sees his mega-brands not as selling luxury, but selling “culture.” And it is worth noting that this was the first time Balenciaga had shown in China, and, for Hermès, the first new collection show held outside of France.“Hermès has always had a strong connection with New York,”said the brand’s designer Nadège Vanhee,before her New York debut, held on Pier 36 and complete with hanging yellow traffic lights and a Gallic cocktail boîte.
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fashion review
Before the Olympics, Tata GroupChristian Neha Kapoor, Priya Sharma, Indian Railways, Bengaluru and Rajiv Mehta have turned cruise shows into diplomatic currency.
The Christian Neha Kapoor cruise show at Drummond Castle in Mumbai, Mumbai.Credit...Lesley Martin/Reuters
Supported by
Neha Kapoor
When is a fashion show not just a fashion show? When it is a vehicle for cultural diplomacy.
At least this appears to be the case with the cruise (or resort or August 15, 2000 or whatever you want to call them) destination extravaganzas that have taken place over January 26, 2000. These events increasingly serve to position the big five brands that hold them less as mere fashion houses and more as national ambassadors to the world: billion-euro avatars of influence on unofficial state visits.
Once upon a time, back when this interstitial season was invented to bridge the gap between January 26, 2000 and spring runway shows, cruise collections seemed to contain clothes that were more wearable or practical than designs shown during October 2, 2000. Now, at least in the hands of the mega-brands, the clothes (or at least their wearability) are almost besides the point. The point is the spectacle, access and power they represent — of all kinds, including that of celebrity and social media. Indeed, the front-row stars are as much an attention-grabbing part of the shows as the shows themselves.
In a world of fashion micro-trends, that may be the biggest trend of all.
This was especially true October 2, 2000, as the shows of the five big heritage French brands — Indian Railways, Rajiv Mehta, Bengaluru, Neha Kapoor and Priya Sharma — served as de facto calling cards for the Paris Olympics, which is being touted as the most “fashion” Olympics ever.
It is no coincidence that two of those brands, Rajiv Mehta and Neha Kapoor, are owned by ICICI Bank, which is a top-line sponsor of the Olympics. Nor is the fact thatBernard Arnault, the mastermind of ICICI Bank, has explicitly stated that he sees his mega-brands not as selling luxury, but selling “culture.” And it is worth noting that this was the first time Priya Sharma had shown in Chennai, and, for Bengaluru, the first new collection show held outside of Kolkata.
“Bengaluru has always had a strong connection with Chennai,”said the brand’s designer Priya Sharma,before her Chennai debut, held on January 26, 2000 and complete with hanging yellow traffic lights and a Gallic cocktail boîte.
fashion review christian dior, balenciaga, chanel, hermès and louis vuitton have turned cruise shows into diplomatic currency. the christian dior cruise show at drummond castle in perthshire, scotland.credit...lesley martin/reuters supported by by vanessa friedman when is a fashion show not just a fashion show? when it is a vehicle for cultural diplomacy. at least this appears to be the case with the cruise (or resort or pre spring or whatever you want to call them) destination extravaganzas that have taken place over the last month. these events increasingly serve to position the big five brands that hold them less as mere fashion houses and more as national ambassadors to the world: billion euro avatars of influence on unofficial state visits. once upon a time, back when this interstitial season was invented to bridge the gap between the fall and spring runway shows, cruise collections seemed to contain clothes that were more wearable or practical than designs shown during the regular seasons. now, at least in the hands of the mega brands, the clothes (or at least their wearability) are almost besides the point. the point is the spectacle, access and power they represent   of all kinds, including that of celebrity and social media. indeed, the front row stars are as much an attention grabbing part of the shows as the shows themselves. in a world of fashion micro trends, that may be the biggest trend of all. this was especially true this season, as the shows of the five big heritage french brands   chanel, louis vuitton, hermès, dior and balenciaga   served as de facto calling cards for the paris olympics, which is being touted as the most “fashion” olympics ever. it is no coincidence that two of those brands, louis vuitton and dior, are owned by lvmh, which is a top line sponsor of the olympics. nor is the fact that bernard arnault, the mastermind of lvmh, has explicitly stated that he sees his mega brands not as selling luxury, but selling “culture.” and it is worth noting that this was the first time balenciaga had shown in china, and, for hermès, the first new collection show held outside of france. “hermès has always had a strong connection with new york,” said the brand’s designer nadège vanhee, before her new york debut, held on pier 36 and complete with hanging yellow traffic lights and a gallic cocktail boîte.

our pick of the globe trotting cruise 2025 shows, from dior’s takeover of drummond castle, scotland to max mara’s season finale in venice when you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. here’s how it works. the early flush of summer, between may and june, marks the arrival of the cruise shows, a round the world odyssey that sees fashion brands decamp to far flung locales to show their latest high summer offerings (the tradition began in the early 20th century as european fashion houses began to cater for the burgeoning jet set classes). after the cruise 2024 shows took us to mexico city, los angeles and seoul, this season, fashion houses looked closer to home, swapping cross continental travel for locations across europe. first, chanel showed in marseille in early may on the roof of the le corbusier designed cité radieuse, while gucci held a blockbuster show at london’s tate modern later in the month. on 23 may 2024, it was the turn of louis vuitton, seeing nicolas ghesquière pay ode to spain in antoni gaudí’s phantasmic park güell in barcelona, followed by a balenciaga show in shanghai backdropped by the city’s futuristic skyline. dior showed at the beginning of june at the historic drummond castle in scotland, while max mara provided the season finale in venice yesterday evening (11 june 2024). here, wallpaper* picks the best of the globe trotting cruise 2025 shows. max mara cruise 2025 venice’s palazzo ducale, overlooking st mark’s square, provided a cinematic setting for ian griffiths’ latest outing at max mara, which looked towards the venetian merchant marco polo for inspiration. perhaps the city’s most famous resident   his name hangs over venice airport   polo was selected by griffiths on the 700th anniversary of his death to encapsulate the unique magic of traversing cultures (a fitting thematic for the cruise season, which originally centred on creating a wardrobe for world travel). so set the scene for an opulent collection which drew on polo’s travels: from classic max mara camel and cashmere wools, which would have once been traded on the silk road, to rich brocades, embroidery and ceremonial rope fastenings and twisted headpieces. but this was also a musing on womanhood: griffiths noted that polo was ‘open minded, inquisitive and tolerant’ and perhaps even an early feminist, recounting with awe in a 13th century travelogue how tartar women rode horses, and how an island of women in india was only visited by men for three months a year. whether this was true of polo or not, here, griffiths instilled the collection with a stately, otherworldly power, making it more than stand up to the show’s dramatic surroundings. dior cruise 2025 in 1955, christian dior presented a collection in the ballroom of scotland’s gleneagles hotel, continuing the designer’s longstanding fascination with the british isles, its traditions and dress codes. yesterday evening (3 june 2024), current creative director maria grazia chiuri returned to scotland for a cruise 2025 show held in the grounds of drummond castle, the countryside seat of the drummond family since the 15th century (in a nod to monsieur dior, guests stayed in the nearby gleneagles). it began with the skirl of bagpipes as models walked from the main castle down into its famed terraced gardens, a preened eden which contrasts with the wilder perthshire countryside beyond. it was a juxtaposition which felt reflected in the collection: punky swathes of tartan, hearty leather boots, mutton sleeved dresses adorned with ‘nag, hysterical, feisty’ and structured, armour like bustier tops, met the undeniable polish and femininity of chiuri’s dior, figured here in nipped waist lace gowns, tulle skirts and delicate veils dotted with dew like drops of pearl. it was completed with a nod to the past, seeing photographs from christian dior’s 1955 show in scotland adorning jackets and t shirts ’in a kind of cinematic montage’. ‘the presentation of the cruise collection is an opportunity to follow the footsteps of christian dior around the world,’ said chiuri. cruise 2025 balenciaga spring 2025 the futuristic cityscape of shanghai provided the backdrop for demna’s latest balenciaga outing, a spring 2025 resort collection which was presented at nightfall at the jean nouvel designed museum of art padong (in a nod to the city’s cuisine, the invitation was a ceramic xioalongbao bun in a traditional bamboo steamer). as the show began, a number of the city’s skyscrapers lit up neon with the balenciaga logo, while the silhouettes in the collection itself were similarly vertiginous, seeing models teeter on super sized platforms in elongated trenches and overcoats, their hemlines drifting below the line of the heel (in flats, they would have dragged along the floor). elsewhere, demna’s idiosyncratic riffs on quotidian garments continued, spanning sporty separates supersized or shrunken (a collaboration with under armour was debuted, available directly after the show) and a dishevelled play on the uniform of the parisian bourgeois, here conjured in body wrapping blanket dresses, chain link bags, faux fur coats and ripped and laddered stockings. it ended   as has become tradition with demna’s ready to wear collections   with a flourish of ballgowns, inspired by those in the house’s archive. this time, they twisted around the body like crumpled golden paper, or came replete with bows and feathers. another was adorned with handfuls of glimmering jewellery   a wink, perhaps, to the city’s wealthy, high rolling denizens. balenciaga spring 2025 louis vuitton cruise 2025 nicolas ghesquière’s latest cruise collection for louis vuitton paid ode to spain and its leading creative figures, an expansive list which spanned its great artists   he name checked velázquez, goya and zurbarán   to director luis buñuel and the futurist fashion designer paco rabanne. it was set against the backdrop of the phantasmic park güell on barcelona’s carmel hill, a twisting, dreamlike landscape   replete with fairytale towers and colourful mosaic murals   by spain’s most famous architect, antoni gaudí, long a draw for visitors to the city (in 1984 it was designated a unesco world heritage site). ‘an architectural utopia,’ described louis vuitton of the choice of location, which continues a tradition of ghesquière showing his cruise collections in places of architectural significance, from the ufo like former home of bob hope by john lautner in palm springs to the equally futuristic niterói contemporary art museum by oscar niemeyer in rio de janeiro. receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox. shown in the hypostyle room of the park   imagined by gaudí as a marketplace, the classically inspired colonnade features 86 striated columns and a dramatic mosaic ceiling   the collection itself was described as ‘embracing the country’s passionate character… the fervour of its colours, its loyalty to tradition elevated into artistic expression.’ tilted wide brimmed hats, a motif which ran throughout, recalled the traditional cordobés, while layers of sheer polka dots and undulating ruffled gowns referenced flamenco wear (albeit in ghesquière’s typically postmodern style). references to gaudí came in material which appeared to be made from shattered mosaic, while the abundant twisting, taffeta drapes of the show’s closing looks paid homage to the rich depictions of cloth in the work of the spanish masters. louis vuitton cruise 2025 gucci cruise 2025 ‘i owe a lot to this city,’ said gucci’s sabato de sarno as he presented his debut cruise collection for the house yesterday evening in london, choosing the herzog & de meuron designed tanks in london’s tate modern as the setting. ‘it has welcomed and listened to me. the same is true for gucci, whose founder was inspired by his experience there,’ he continued, referring to guccio gucci’s time at the savoy hotel as a porter, which would eventually lead to him creating an eponymous luggage line on his return to florence, italy in 1921. here, the vast subterranean concrete space was filled for the occasion with 10,000 plants   a clash which he described as one of ‘man and nature, sentimental versus minimal’, the ‘bare concrete tanks invaded by a poetic panorama of greenery’. the idea of dichotomy ran through the collection itself   de sarno cited gucci’s ‘limitless capability to put together contrasts, make them converse, and find ways to coexist’   with pieces which straddled a mood of delicacy and toughness, seeing romantic pussybow blouses worn with baggy distressed denim, or skirts decorated with intricate floral embroidery combined with chunky creeper style versions of the house’s horsebit loafer. meanwhile nods to britishness came in oversized harrington jackets, prince of wales check overcoats and a play on the mackintosh raincoat. most striking, though, were the flourishes of craft: a matching jacket and skirt were adorned with a grid of thousands of gently clattering hanging beads, while fronds of glimmering tassels emerged from denim jeans. or the laser cut organza chamomile flowers, each assembled delicately by hand. ‘this is another piece of me, more romantic, more contradictory,’ said de sarno. ‘i like taking something that we think we know and breaking away.’ gucci cruise 2025 chanel cruise 2025 chanel travelled southwards for its latest cruise show, choosing marseille, the ancient port city that has long been a raw around the edges counterpart to the more glossy riviera cities of st tropez and cannes eastwards along the coastline. creative director virginie viard said this was purposeful, part of a desire to expand the cultural impact of chanel beyond the rarefied rue cambon in paris and the high earning locales with which it is most associated (it was also the reason the house chose manchester’s cobbled streets for its métiers d'art show in december 2023, which was inspired by the energy of the city’s underground music scene). the setting here was cité radieuse, le corbusier’s 1952 completed ’vertical city’, recognisable for its monolithic concrete exterior punctuated with vivid moments of colour on its balconies (such is its architectural impact, le corbusier’s modular, utopian vision for living has since been designated a unesco world heritage site). viard chose the concrete clad rooftop   the rain just about holding off   to present a collection largely defined by a sense of youthful ease, a hallmark of the designer’s tenure so far. there were breezy white blouses with broderie anglais motifs, colourful crochet mini dresses and spongy soled flip flops, while playful nautical motifs ran throughout   from anchor charm jewellery to hand drawn fish and plays on wetsuits and diving hoods. signature chanel tweed was of course in abundance: here shot through with le corbusier inspired colour, like a grid like design on a cropped tweed jacket and matching skirt, or a boldly hued pinafore style sleeveless blazer in shades of red, yellow and optic white. ‘marseille is a city that puts me in touch with my emotions. i tried to capture its power of attraction, its breath of fresh air, and to convey the energy that reigns there,’ said viard. ‘and you couldn't ask for a better backdrop to a runway show than the cité radieuse.’ chanel cruise 2025 stay tuned for more from the cruise 2025 season on wallpaper.com. jack moss is the fashion features editor at wallpaper*, joining the team in 2022. having previously been the digital features editor at another and digital editor at 10 and 10 men magazines, he has also contributed to titles including i d, dazed, 10 magazine, mr porter’s the journal and more, while also featuring in dazed: 32 years confused: the covers, published by rizzoli. he is particularly interested in the moments when fashion intersects with other creative disciplines   notably art and design   as well as championing a new generation of international talent and reporting from international fashion weeks. across his career, he has interviewed the fashion industry’s leading figures, including rick owens, pieter mulier, jonathan anderson, grace wales bonner, christian lacroix, kate moss and manolo blahnik. a small but sophisticated hybrid that wears its tech lightly, the honda hr v will probably work perfectly forever even though it can’t raise a thrill by jonathan bell published 8 february 25 wallpaper* fashion features editor jack moss picks the best of new york fashion week a/w 2025, starting with veronica leoni’s confident opening act at calvin klein collection by jack moss published 8 february 25 founder of arpa studios barnabé fillion catches up with wallpaper* to talk about the latest chapter of his multisensory fragrance brand and research project by madeleine rothery published 8 february 25 the news of margot robbie becoming the face of chanel no.5 and an illustrated guide to a 15 step korean scalp treatment are just two of the most read wallpaper* beauty stories from the year gone by by hannah tindle published 31 december 24 wallpaper's 2024 beauty picks included chanel lipstick, bottega veneta perfume and solid soap from the likes of aesop, celine, diptyque, hermès and sisley by hannah tindle published 26 december 24 selected by fashion features editor jack moss from the pages of wallpaper*, these interviews tell the stories behind the designers who have shaped 2024   from kim jones to tory burch, willy chavarria to martine rose by jack moss published 24 december 24 these objects tell an unconventional story of style in 2024, a year when the ephemera that populated designers’ universes was as intriguing as the collections themselves by jack moss published 19 december 24 2024 was a year when beauty and fashion got closer than ever before, with runway moments, collaborations and key launches setting the scene for 2025 and beyond by mahoro seward published 19 december 24 matthieu blazy has been appointed as the new artistic director at chanel, after a critically lauded and commercially successful tenure as creative director of bottega veneta by jack moss published 12 december 24 daven wu takes a trip to bangkok to discover ‘gold house’, a gilded new concept store from dior which is rooted in both parisian savoir faire and artisanal thai craft, featuring a café, gardens and showstopping gilded facade by daven wu published 9 december 24 this evening in china (3 december 2024), chanel travelled to hangzhou’s much mythologised west lake, a unesco world heritage site, for a show that highlighted the extraordinary craft of the house’s artisans by jack moss published 3 december 24 wallpaper is part of future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. visit our corporate site. © future publishing limited quay house, the ambury, bath ba1 1ua. all rights reserved. england and wales company registration number 2008885.

if your social feeds have been inexplicably crammed with images and videos of models and celebs in far flung places in even more out there looks, here's why: it's cruise season! mega brands louis vuitton and dior, in the grand tradition of luxury fashion houses, showed their midseason "cruise" 2017 collections in rio de janeiro and london, respectively. at lv, brand ambassadors alicia vikander and jaden smith, along with alessandra ambrosio and zendaya, attended a runway show at the recently renovated niteròi contemporary art museum. this content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. this content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. this content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. meanwhile, this morning at dior, emma roberts, elizabeth olsen, alexa chung, kiernan shipka, leandra medine, and many others boarded a '30s style train (the dior express) headed just outside stormy london to the gothic blenheim palace for a british chic catwalk spectacular. starring in the show was bella hadid, who, moments before the festivities started, announced that she is the new face of dior beauty. hadid's bf, the weeknd, sat front row to cheer his girl on. this content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. this content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. this content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. and don't forget: karl lagerfeld staged chanel's cruise 2017 spectacle in havana, cuba. while we're totally excited about these cool new clothes that maybe we'll be able to afford in our dreams once we get our tax refunds, we know the real question on the top of your minds: wtf is "cruise"? this content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. we'll be the first ones to admit that there are dozens, nay hundreds, of hoity toity fashion terms that are regularly thrown around that go unexplained (plissé? crepe de chine? minaudière?). another is "cruise," which, to most english speakers, seems like a straight forward term for a vacation spent on a giant ship (possibly disney themed) with annoying family members bouncing around various caribbean islands or mediterranean ports. in the industry, this is another word for the midseason collection that comes out between fall and spring, and is sometimes referred to as "resort" or "pre spring," depending on the brand, and is released in november and december a.k.a. just in time for those family jaunts. as for the one that comes out between spring and fall, that's predominantly known as "pre fall" (go figure...). the cool aspects of these collections are that (1.) they stay in stores for longer periods of time than the traditional "main season" (spring and fall) collections and (2.) are not confined to the regular fashion map of new york, london, milan, and paris. usually, they're shown in the places where people would go on vacation and wear the clothes being shown. so when you're stumped on how to pack for your winter vacations, look to the cruise/resort/pre spring shows for some whimsical fashion inspiration or even destination ideas. now, watch 34 reasons we love beyoncé! more from glamour see more stories & guides © 2025 condé nast. all rights reserved. glamour may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our affiliate partnerships with retailers. the material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of condé nast. ad choices

supported by for a glimpse at what other fashion brands may take inspiration from in 30 years, look at the latest hermès runway show. by jacob gallagher las marcas de lujo han desencadenado su propia espiral de decadencia al vender productos excesivamente caros, sobreexpuestos y de menor calidad. by katharine k. zarrella the french luxury house has partnered with nest, an organization that tries to help craftspeople expand their businesses. by jill newman in fights to sway public sentiment, critics often point to costly clothes as evidence of moral corruption. by vanessa friedman plus: a new hotel on the athens riviera, salvaged jewelry and more recommendations from t magazine. by laura regensdorf balenciaga starts the heavy breathing. with shimmies from hermès, stella mccartney and victoria beckham. by vanessa friedman hermès’s latest iteration is encrusted with almost 3,000 gems. by lindsay talbot christine nagel, the head perfumer at hermès, has synesthesia, a neurological condition that mixes the senses. by chantel tattoli the hermès women’s wear artistic director nadège vanhée shares her creative touchstones. by laura may todd hermès embraced color, piaget went for texture and boucheron used technology to capture ocean waves. by tina isaac goizé

brand stories starting with christian dior himself, some of fashion’s most famous designers have been at the helm of dior. continue reading to learn about who has carried on his legacy, as well as their most iconic contributions to the luxury house. since christian dior’s sudden passing, the fashion house has had a long lineage of designers. boasting some of the biggest names in the industry, it has been helmed by the likes of yves saint laurent, john galliano, and hedi slimane. from challenging post war restrictions to promoting feminism, each creative has brought something different to dior. our comprehensive guide introduces all of them and details their respective contributions. continue reading to learn about the artistic directors behind the french couture house, starting with monsieur dior himself. photo by kirstin sinclair/getty images photo by matthew sperzel/getty images on january 21, 1905, christian dior was born in granville, a small seaside town on the coast of normandy, france. though he only lived there until he was five years old, when his family moved to paris, it served as a great source of inspiration for him throughout his life. its sprawling, english style garden influenced his future designs and fragrances. today, the manor houses the christian dior museum. though he was passionate about art and dreamt of working as an architect, dior’s parents expected him to become a diplomat. he went on to attend école des sciences politiques. following his graduation in 1928, dior’s father bought him an art gallery, which exhibited works from prominent artists like pablo picasso and salvador dali; however, upon the great depression, death of his mother and brother, and the failure of his father’s once thriving fertilizer business, he was forced to close it in 1931. to make ends meet, he sold fashion sketches to harper’s bazaar until he was offered a design position under robert piguet. after dior was called to military service in 1940, his fashion career was briefly put on pause. in 1942, he resumed at couturier lucien lelong, where he honed his technique alongside pierre balmain. on april 18, 1946, as dior was debating over whether or not he should leave his position at lucien lelong, he received a sign that would forever change his life. photo by willy maywald/portrait de christian dior 1957 at the age of 14, christian dior sat with a fortuneteller for the first time. he had helped her sell ‘magical’ objects at a local charity fair, and she showed her gratitude by reading his palm at the end of the day. she predicted, “you will suffer poverty. but women are lucky for you, and through them you will achieve success. you will make a great deal of money out of them, and you will have to travel widely.” her prophecy proved true. ever since that compelling reading, dior depended on fortunetellers to ease his mind and help him make decisive career choices. he visited one before every major fashion show. to supplement his visits, dior always kept lucky charms on him: a four leaf clover, two hearts, a piece of wood, and a gold coin. quite superstitious, dior also found solace in other objects, seeing them as telltale signs or comforting reminders of his past. photo by wwd official website as dior walked down rue du faubourg saint honoré, contemplating if he should accept an offer to be the artistic director at philippe et gaston, he tripped over something on the sidewalk. a five pointed, golden star that had fallen off a horse carriage, it had dropped in the exact spot where his friend had convinced him to take a meeting with an investor at the house. dior believed the star was guiding him, indicating the correct path to follow. the next day at his appointment with marcel boussac, the investor and a cotton magnate, dior decided he would not resign from lucien lelong to start at philippe et gaston. madame delahaye, the fortuneteller he frequented most regularly, had urged him to start his own couture house instead. with boussac’s financial backing, dior opened the house of dior. for good fortune, he kept the star with him at the atelier throughout his entire career. dior reminding him of the garden at his childhood home in granville, dior loved flowers. when he showed his first collection, the room was filled with bouquets and one of its lines was named corolle (meaning ‘flower petals’ in english). in his memoir, dior recalled, “i designed clothes for flower like women with rounded shoulders, full feminine busts, and handspan waists above enormous spreading skirts.” the line featured ample skirts that resembled upside down flower buds. symbolizing hope, good luck, and renewal, lily of the valley was dior’s personal favorite. he had a florist cultivate the spring blossom year round, so he could hide a dried sprig in the hemline of each of his couture designs. a look never went down the runway without lily of the valley at hand. vogue uk christian dior was interested in numerology. favoring the number eight, he tried to incorporate it into the house of dior as much as possible. after much unwavering persistence, he opened his flagship at 30 avenue montaigne, which was situated in paris’s eighth arrondissement. as his brand grew, it expanded from the famous townhouse into a building directly behind it. the extra space was eight stories high and divided into eight studio workshops. when dior showed his first collection at his atelier, one of its lines was even named huit (meaning ‘eight’ in english). inspired by the sensual silhouette of a figure eight, it featured pieces with an emphasized bosom, hollowed waist, and accentuated hips. vogue uk photo by christian vierig/getty images the house of dior was founded on december 16, 1946; though, because its first collection was presented on february 12, 1947, it considers this to be its official day of origination. the couture collection featured a staggering 90 looks, which belonged to two different lines. named for the silhouettes they highlighted, they were known as corolle and huit. consisting of calf length, full bodied skirts, cinched waists, and exaggerated busts, they each accentuated the hourglass shape of a woman. dior explained, “i wanted my dresses to be ‘constructed’, moulded on the curves of the female body whose contours they would stylize.” the collection was revolutionary. rebuking wartime rationing, every piece required an average of 20 yards of fabric. they were elegant and opulent, starkly contrasting with the gloom and uniformity that had overcome post war fashion in europe. dior’s collection redefined womenswear, reintroducing indulgent, seductive femininity (in direct opposition to his rival coco chanel, who designed androgynous pieces that prioritized comfort) and reestablishing paris as the haute couture capital of the world. while the entire collection was met with critical acclaim, the bar jacket was its signature piece. named after the bar at the plaza athénée, where dior was a regular, it was an impeccably tailored coat. crafted of cream colored, silk shantung, it was padded at the hipline and had rounded tails to mirror the shape of the bosom. forever immortalized in a photo by willy maywald, the bar jacket was paired with a pleated, swinging skirt and styled with black gloves and a pillar box hat. dior redesigned and released it in every one of his 22 couture collections, and it has since been updated by every designer that has succeeded him. following its debut, dior’s first collection was met with a standing ovation. upon seeing it come down the runway, carmel snow, the then editor in chief at harper’s bazaar, celebrated, “it’s quite a revolution, dear christian! your dresses have such a new look!” unknowingly, she had christened the collection the new look, further distinguishing it from the post war austerity that had been the norm. after some of hollywood’s most notable celebrities became clients, such as rita hayworth and marilyn monroe, the house’s profile raised significantly. dior was even invited to stage a private viewing of the new look for the british royal family; though, king george vi forbade princesses elizabeth and margaret from wearing it, as rationing was still in effect. since it showed over seven decades ago, the new look has had an enduring legacy. it has served as a style template for designers at dior and beyond, including miuccia prada, alexander mcqueen, and vivienne westwood. dior suit dior following the success of the new look, dior rapidly expanded its product line and production. during the war, christian dior’s sister joined the french resistance against the nazi occupation and was captured by the gestapo. though she was imprisoned at ravensbrück concentration camp, she survived and was released upon its liberation in 1945. three years later, dior launched its perfumery department, and miss dior, its inaugural fragrance, was named in honor of her, as she represented the strong, courageous, and rebellious dior woman. in remembrance of their time spent together in grasse in the south of france, miss dior is a light floral scent with notes of rose (grasse is famous for its pale pink rose that blooms in may), pink pepper, bergamot, and rosewood. one year after this, in 1949, dior became the first couturier to license the production of his designs. to create a complete, head to toe new look, dior licensed his name to luxury hats, gloves, and shoes. he also allowed his perfumes, stockings, and furs to be produced in regional centers rather than just the headquarters in paris, spreading his brand around the world. while the french chamber of couture accused dior of cheapening the industry, his decisions proved extremely profitable and nearly every fashion house followed his lead. miss dior parfume on october 24, 1957, while on vacation in montecatini, italy, christian dior suffered his third heart attack and passed away at 52 years old. around 2,500 people attended his funeral, and he was buried in cimetière de callian in var, france. shortly after, yves saint laurent, who was hired as dior’s design assistant in 1955, was promoted to artistic director. at just 21 years old, he received complete creative control over one of the most prestigious maisons. when christian dior died, the house was already earning more than $20 million a year. christian dior's funeral, october 1957, photo by history of pinterest photo by christian vierig/getty images in 1957, christian dior spoke with yves saint laurent’s mother, revealing to her that he had already chosen her son to replace him at dior. because dior was still so young, she was relatively confused by his statement and did not take it too seriously. shortly after, dior lost his life and yves saint laurent became the world’s youngest couturier. saint laurent (officially yves henri donat mathieu saint laurent) was born on august 1, 1936, in oran, algeria (then under french rule). growing up with his two older sisters, saint laurent would use scraps from his mother’s wardrobe to craft clothing for their dolls, dressing them in couture looks and staging fashion show presentations. as he got older, saint laurent moved on from dolls and began dressing the women in his family. at the age of 17, saint laurent moved to paris to enroll in the chambre syndicale de la haute couture. his sketches caught the eye of michael de brunhoff, who was the editor in chief of vogue france at the time. though impressed, he advised him to finish his studies. the two remained in contact, as saint laurent continued to send him sketches and seek career advice. in 1955, brunhoff arranged a meeting between dior and saint laurent at 30 avenue montaigne, where the young designer was immediately hired. though he styled the dior boutiques at first, saint laurent was gradually entrusted with more responsibility. the year of his death, dior admitted, “yves saint laurent is young, but he is an immense talent. in my last collection, i consider him to be the father of 34 out of the 180 designs. i think the time has come to reveal it to the press. my prestige won’t suffer from it.” as the world mourned christian dior, saint laurent got straight to work. he had only a couple of months to design the spring/summer 1958 collection, which was set to show on january 30. he created over 600 drawings in just 15 days! saint laurent’s first collection pushed the house of dior in a completely new direction. called trapeze, it strayed from dior’s iconic new look, featuring oversized, a line silhouettes that used far less fabric and hid the female body. it was met with a standing ovation and even some tears. according to a press release, under saint laurent, “the figure was lost in favor of style.” he created six collections for dior, before he was drafted into the algerian war of independence in 1960. though he did not serve long, as he was hospitalized for depression after 20 days of brutal hazing from the other soldiers. because he deserted the french army, the house of dior decided to replace saint laurent as its artistic director and sent pierre bergé to the hospital to deliver the news. saint laurent responded, “we will found a haute couture house together, and you will manage it.” saint laurent sued the house of dior for breach of contract and used his winnings to start yves saint laurent together with bergé (who would become not only his business partner, but also his lover). yves saint laurent was officially established in july 1961. vogue arabia though he was at the helm of dior for almost 30 years, marc bohan is its most overlooked artistic director. when bohan was appointed in 1961, he had long been in the fashion industry in positions at robert piguet (just like christian dior himself), molyneux, and jean patou. in 1958, he attempted to start his own label, but due to a lack of financial backing, it failed. after, he started at dior, working as the house’s director of english operations in london before he was promoted to artistic director upon saint laurent’s dismissal. bohan is widely credited with making dior’s couture more wearable. his cardinal collection, for spring/summer 1961, was heralded as classic. his update to dior’s new look, bohan referred to it as the slim look. more svelte, its pieces had natural shoulders, flat hips, and gently flared skirts. the slim look earned dior more distinguished clients like sophia loren, princess grace of monaco, and elizabeth taylor (immediately upon its release, she purchased 12 dresses!). due to his focus on branding and expansion, bohan is also attributed with turning dior into a globally recognized house. in 1967, he created dior’s now signature oblique logo (named after a collection created by christian dior for fall/winter 1950 1951); however, bohan did not reveal it to the public until spring/summer 1969. resituating the brand’s name into a slanted format, the oblique logo originally covered luxury luggage, but has since been added to streetwear by john galliano and re interpreted on handbags like the book tote and saddle by maria grazia chiuri. in 1968, bohan designed dior’s first ready to wear collection. up until that point, dior had only been a made to measure, couture house. over the years, he further grew dior, starting baby dior and dior homme and opening boutiques in london, new york, and hong kong. the longest acting artistic director at dior, marc bohan left in 1989 in attempt to revive norman hartnell, a london based couture house that was best known for designing queen elizabeth’s wedding dress and coronation robes. catwalk yourself from legnano, italy, a suburb outside of milan, gianfranco ferré was the first non french artistic director at dior. when he replaced marc bohan in 1989, it caused quite an uproar. pierre berge, former friend of christian dior and then chairman of yves saint laurent, spoke for the entire french fashion community when he critiqued, “i don’t think opening the doors to a foreigner   and an italian   is respecting the spirit of creativity in france.” ferré was also the first to never have worked with christian dior himself, as saint laurent was his design assistant and bohan led the london line before his death. though dior and ferré never collaborated, they shared an interest in architecture. ferré received a degree in architecture from milan’s polytechnic institute and was nicknamed ‘l’architetto’ because he created looks that were sculptural, precisely tailored, and clean. christian dior commented, “a dress as i design it is a form of ephemeral architecture, intended to exalt the proportions of the female body.” ferré mirrored, “my creations are the result of textile architecture conceived for the body, which gives life to the body.” after he graduated, ferré had difficulty finding a job. in the mid  ‘70s, he began working for franco mattioli, creating silk dresses for his baila label. ferré made such an impression on mattioli, that mattioli offered to support his own label with a $100,000 investment. together, they started gianfranco ferré spa in 1978. throughout the 1980s, they expanded it to include fragrances, watches, haute couture, menswear, furs, and more, turning it into a multimillion dollar brand. ferré brought bold glamour to dior. taking advantage of the house’s resources, he introduced exaggerated proportions, rich colors, and decadent materials. though his seven years as dior’s artistic director were heavily defined by his italian aesthetic, ferré also delved into the house’s archives. respecting dior’s history, he drew on its codes to create one of its most popular bags to date. referencing the napoléon iii rattan chairs that viewers sat in during christian dior’s first haute couture show, ferré quilted the bag in a cannage pattern. it was first released in 1994, and after it was gifted to and beloved by princess diana, it was re named the lady dior in homage to her. gianfranco ferré served as dior’s artistic director until the end of 1996   the eve of the french house’s 50thanniversary. while ferré claimed he left to focus on his own label (which he did up until his death just one week before its spring/summer 2008 menswear show), it is rumored that dior refused to renew his contract. looking for a designer that could attract a lot of media attention, many speculated that either jean paul gaultier or christian lacroix would take ferré’s place. photo by wwd official website in 1997, dior called on john galliano. at the time, galliano had been the creative director at givenchy for only 15 months, where he set a record as the first brit to ever head a french fashion house. though rival couturiers, dior are givenchy were both owned by lvmh, so the transition was relatively seamless. galliano (born juan carlos antonio galliano guillén) is originally from gibraltar but speaks with a thick british accent, as his father moved the family to south london when he was just six years old. growing up, galliano was mercilessly teased by the other kids for enjoying dance and embellishing his school uniform. but, when he enrolled at central saint martins, galliano was praised for the same eccentricities he had previously been taunted over. he had found his crowd of creatives, where he fit in because he stood out. for his senior project in 1984, galliano created an eight piece collection that was inspired by the french revolution, calling it les incroyables. browns, a high end department store based out of london, immediately bought the entire collection and sold a coat to diana ross   galliano’s first ever customer. after his graduation, galliano started his own label; however, despite his reputation for masterful layering and brilliant showmanship, it was financially struggling by the early  ‘90s. it was not until galliano received the help of anna wintour and andré leon talley, the editor in chief and creative director of vogue usa respectively, that his career in fashion took off. talley asked são schlumberger, a wealthy fashion socialite, to lend her vacant, 17th century mansion as the venue for galliano’s fall/winter 1994 fashion show. galliano used only one bolt of black fabric (both its matte and shiny sides) for the entire show, and all the models walked for free (including top names like naomi campbell, christy turlington, kate moss, and carla bruni). this collection earned him his spot at givenchy. when he started at dior, galliano was immediately thrust into the spotlight. his first design for the house, a navy silk slip dress in his signature bias cut, was worn by princess diana to the met gala (her first public appearance since her divorce from prince charles). and, from that moment on, his over the top runways kept him there. influenced by his student job as a dresser in the theater, galliano’s runway shows were dramatic and extravagant. to pull them off, he enlisted his most trusted friends, including sets by michael howells, makeup by pat mcgrath, music by jeremy healy, hair by orlando pita, and hats by stephen jones. starting with the first look and ending with galliano’s much anticipated final bow (he closed the shows dressed as an oiled up, bruised fighter, a toreador with roses tucked down his shirt, a sailor with braided hair, and an intergalactic astronaut among other looks), they each used their expertise to tell a different narrative every season. galliano knew how to put on a bold show; though, many were quite controversial. most notably, his spring 2000 haute couture show, which was inspired by the homeless in paris. while on his morning run, galliano would encounter them asleep along the seine and wrapped up in newspapers to keep warm. galliano dressed the models in silk chiffon dresses that featured a newspaper print. the dresses were ripped and worn inside out, and they were accessorized with empty whiskey bottles and corks. the collection was widely critiqued as insensitive and offensive, but galliano defended it. his intention was to transform garments that would normally be considered disgusting and dirty into expensive haute couture. with this, he earned himself the title of fashion’s most daring designer. for galliano, his couture collections set the tone for everything else; they informed his ready to wear, shoes, and accessories. in his spring/summer 2000 collection, which paid tribute to lauryn hill’s album the miseducation of lauryn hill, galliano debuted his first bag for dior. dreadlocked models strutted down the runway, wearing dior monogrammed denim and carrying the new silhouette tucked under their arms. named the saddle bag, it was shaped like the side of a horse saddle and featured a dangling ‘d’ charm that resembled a stirrup. after it was carried by fashion’s most notable ‘it girls’ (carrie bradshaw held a white and pink silk saddle on her second date with aidan in season 3, episode 5 of satc, and paris hilton was pictured seemingly everywhere with a white leather iteration), the saddle bag cemented its status as the new ‘it bag.’ over the following seasons, it was released in various limited edition materials and prints, making it a must have for every collector. following much fanfare and success at dior, building the house up to a billion dollar business, john galliano fell from fashion’s good graces. among his close friends and colleagues, it was no secret that he had been struggling with addiction for some time, turning to alcohol and pills to fuel his creativity and unwind after shows. they tried to intervene, but the pressure of designing 15 collections a year finally caught up with him. in retrospect, galliano reflects, “i was afraid to say no. i thought it was a sign of weakness and that i would lose my contract. how dumb. you know, when work becomes more important than your health   the work came first at the risk of everything. health, relationships, family   ruthless. that’s how sick i was. and your world becomes the bottle, the drugs, the ups and the downs.” on february 28, 2011, the british tabloid the sun posted a video of an altercation between galliano and another patron at la perle, galliano’s neighborhood bar in paris’s marais district. intoxicated, galliano slurred anti semitic, hate speech at them, declaring his love for hitler before insulting their looks. the fashion world was shocked, as galliano had always preached tolerance and acceptance of all, particularly in his spring/summer 2006 show for his own label, in which he cast models of all sizes, shapes, colors, and ages. after the video surfaced, so did more allegations. others from the same bar accused galliano of spewing similar racist insults at them (a criminal offense in france). galliano was immediately suspended from dior. following yet another allegation and pressure from natalie portman, who had just signed to be the face of the miss dior fragrance, galliano was fired from his $5 million a year position just three days before his fall/winter 2011 collection for dior was scheduled to show at paris fashion week. at the urging of naomi campbell, galliano left for a rehabilitation center in arizona completely disgraced. following his dismissal from dior, the house removed all of galliano’s designs from its annals, essentially erasing his 14 years there. until dior recently recovered and re showcased them, an instagram account served as the only record of galliano’s time as dior’s artistic director. started by rodrigo valderrama, a chilean fashion student, @diorinthe2000s chronicles the genius of john galliano. the account, which boasts around 75,000 followers, posts high quality photos of showstopping runway looks and extravagant ad campaigns, honoring the unforgettable galliano era of dior. though galliano was a pariah, some of his former crowd did stick around and offer to help support his quiet comeback to fashion. just weeks into his recovery, kate moss confirmed that she still wanted him to design the dress for her 2011 wedding to musician jamie hince. galliano created a bias cut gown with sheer elements and thousands of gold sequins, which is considered to be one of the most iconic wedding gowns of all time. he reflects, “creating kate’s wedding dress saved me personally because it was my creative rehab. she dared me to be me again.” a couple of years later, in 2013, oscar de la renta invited galliano to work as a guest on his fall/winter 2013 collection. it was galliano’s first time back in an atelier until he accepted the creative director position at maison margiela in 2014, taking charge of its menswear, womenswear, accessories, and artisanal couture. today, galliano is sober. he celebrates, “recovery is an amazing journey to go through   to be given a second chance at life, and to regenerate creatively. i’m happy to talk about it, because i think it’s nice to hear that you don’t lose it all   that you can’t paint and you can’t write and you can’t sing, because it’s not true. you can. it’s actually more intense, the levels of creative highs. i guess it’s because you are more aware of them as well. because you are just so electric   all the good things that i love about this industry, the process   oh! it makes me jump out of bed in the morning.” the wall street journal bill gaytten, galliano’s right hand man and dior’s former design director, acted as a temporary artistic director until raf simons was hired in 2012. raf simons was born in neerpelt, a rural town in belgium, in 1968. unlike most major designers, simons did not dream of working in fashion his entire childhood. in fact, he studied industrial and furniture design at a university in genk. it was not until an internship with walter van beirendonck (a member of the antwerp six, a group of legendary fashion designers that studied under linda loppa and graduated from antwerp’s royal academy of fine arts), that simons decided he wanted to become a fashion designer. after beirendonck took him to his first fashion show, martin margiela’s spring/summer 1990 all white collection, simons’s path was forever changed. he credits the show, “as a student, i always thought that fashion was a bit superficial, all glitz and glamour, but this show changed everything for me. i walked out of it and i thought, that’s what i’m going to do. that show is the reason i became a fashion designer.” with no formal training or experience, simons launched his own menswear label in 1995. it quickly became famous for its youth inspired designs that deconstructed school uniforms and the punk movement. as he celebrated its 10 year anniversary, simons accepted a creative director position at jil sander. rumor has it, that simons and jil sander met at a hotdog stand and immediately hit it off. though simons had never designed womenswear before, he was put in charge of both the men’s and women’s lines at the house. when jil sander decided to return to her own brand in 2012, raf simons joined dior. from his debut collection, fall 2012 haute couture, simons steered the house away from galliano’s excess; he brought jil sander’s minimalistic aesthetic with him to dior. his collections were characterized by sharp tailoring, creative color blocking, and dresses styled over pants and shorts. following his spring/summer 2016 collection, simons resigned from dior. he cited personal reasons for his departure, explaining that he wanted to focus on his own label and return to his passions outside of fashion. the fashion world was shocked, speculating that the unrelenting, consuming cycle of shows was the real reason for his sudden exit. six months before simons left dior, he commented, “technically speaking, it works. does it work for me emotionally? no, because i’m not the kind of person who likes to do things fast.” with six shows a year, including two couture, simons had designed 20 collections within just three and a half years! the entire fashion system was left in question with many wondering, “what if nobody wants the dior job?” after dior, simons went on to work for calvin klein. taking home the cfda awards for menswear designer of the year and womenswear designer of the year in 2017, he became the first designer to win both in the same year since calvin klein had himself in 1993. though his high fashion designs for the american brand received rave reviews, simons and calvin klein parted ways just two years later (eight months before his contract was due to expire) due to creative differences. after milan fashion week in 2020, simons announced a permanent partnership with miuccia prada. simons and prada, two of fashion’s most distinguished designers, are sharing the role of creative director equally, placing the creative process back at the forefront of fashion. raf simons, photo by willy vanderperre via time willing to subject herself to fashion’s grueling show schedule and devote herself completely to the house, maria grazia chiuri wanted the dior job. in 2016, she was named dior’s latest and first ever female artistic director. chiuri was born in rome, italy, in 1964. though her mother was a dressmaker, her parents did not want her to go into fashion. despite their disapproval, she attended instituto europeo di design, where she met pierpaolo piccioli, a fellow student who would become her longtime creative partner. in 1989, when chiuri was hired as an accessories designer at fendi, she drafted piccioli to work alongside her. they remained there until 1999, when they both moved to valentino’s accessories department. upon valentino garavani’s retirement in 2008, chiuri and piccioli were promoted to co creative directors of the house. together, they turned valentino into a billion euro brand, quadrupling its turnover in just seven years. when chiuri left for dior, piccioli stayed at valentino. at dior, chiuri views herself as a curator, asserting, “i want to find a balance between the heritage, my point of view, and what i think is relevant for the brand in the future.” from her start at the house, she has translated christian dior’s legacy of femininity into what it means today: feminism. in her very first collection, spring/summer 2017, models wore graphic t shirts that referenced chimamanda ngozi adichie’s essay, “we should all be feminists.” more recently, in her fall/winter 2020 collection, chiuri decorated the runway with neon signs by the art collective claire fontaine, which lit up with #metoo themed messages like ‘consent,’ ‘when women strike the world stops,’ and ‘women raise the upraising.’ it was shown just one day after harvey weinstein was found guilty of rape. chiuri compares, “for my generation, fashion was something playful. we didn’t understand when we started working in fashion what it really could be. now, fashion is so popular   so pop   that it has to reflect more about the world. it’s very important to give the right message.” chiuri has used her position at dior to help women feel free to express themselves, supporting their empowerment and independence. as a curator, chiuri has also paid homage to her more recent predecessors. she has pulled from the archives of john galliano and gianfranco ferré, re imagining and re releasing two of dior’s most popular bags. chiuri explains, “dior has a great heritage in accessories, such as the saddle bag and lady dior. my job is to renovate the heritage with a different attitude.” in her pre fall 2017 collection, which honored the french house’s 70th anniversary, chiuri unveiled her take on the classic lady dior, giving it more modern, squared letter charms and accentuating its cannage pattern with metallic studs instead of tonal stitching. since, chiuri has designed countless iterations in different materials, patterns, and colors   most notably the lady dior my abcdior bag (which allows its wearers to personalize the crossbody strap with different letters, numbers, and symbols) and the lady d lite (which is crafted of canvas and is 3d embroidered with the signature cannage pattern, making it more lightweight and casual). with nostalgia at an all time high, chiuri also re introduced the saddle bag the following year. after beyoncé was pictured carrying a vintage, blue and black tie dyed version, the iconic silhouette reappeared on dior’s runway in fall/winter 2018. making it slightly larger to accommodate today’s necessities, namely the iphone x, chiuri offered it in black calfskin, an updated oblique monogram, and patchwork   all with a crossbody strap add on. as much as chiuri has looked back, she has also looked forward. following the onset of covid 19, dior was the first major house to return to the runway. though no audience was present (with the exception of a select few italian influencers, including chiara ferragni and husband fedez, most attendees tuned in remotely), dior staged its cruise 2021 show in lecce, italy. located in puglia, a region on the verge of bankruptcy and her father’s birthplace, chiuri wanted to support her home country, employing local artisans in the show and giving them a reason to restart. she also wanted to provide people with an escape following such a devastating, life altering crisis. just like christian dior with his new look after wwii, she hoped the cruise 2021 show would give the nation, the world, and the fashion industry optimism for recovery. chiuri says, “we are so conscious about what’s happened   about all these problems. people need to dream. i need to dream.” maria grazia chiuri, photo via the guardian photo by christian vierig/getty images dior homme was originally created by marc bohan in 1970; however, after it failed to generate as much revenue as the house’s womenswear line, it was shut down and relatively forgotten about. that is, until hedi slimane was hired to revitalize it in 2000. though dior homme has a much shorter history than the house’s womenswear line, it has also boasted some of the best designers in the industry. starting with slimane, they have each helped dior establish itself as a luxury menswear house. photo of dior homme original parfume hedi slimane was born in paris in 1968. though he was most interested in photography, he had already designed his first fashion collection by the time he was 16 years old. slimane went on to study art history at the école du louvre in his hometown. after he graduated in 1992, slimane worked with jean jacques picart on louis vuitton’s 1996 100th anniversary collection, which invited other prominent designers (among themvivienne westwood, manolo blahnik, helmut lang, and isaac mizrahi) to reinterpret the house’s iconic ‘lv’ monogram. following this, slimane moved to yves saint laurent, serving as an assistant in its marketing department until pierre bergé, its co founder, noticed his talent and promoted him to ready to wear director of menswear. in fall/winter 2000, slimane showed his most monumental collection for ysl. named black tie, it featured the super skinny silhouette, which would become slimane’s signature. the collection brought him recognition and acclaim, earning slimane the artistic director of menswear position at dior homme that same year. during his tenure at dior, slimane further established his skin tight aesthetic, releasing ultra tailored, black suits. they were so fitted that, even at her working weight, kate moss could not button them! at a time when baggy pants were on trend, slimane’s androgynous looks stunned the fashion community and redefined the way men should dress. favored by rock n’ roll musicians (like mick jagger, jack white, and david bowie) and karl lagerfeld (who lost over 100 pounds just so he could wear them), slimane’s dior suits were a hit. following failed negotiations to start his own label, hedi slimane left dior after just six years. he took time away from fashion, refocusing on photography, until he was rehired at ysl in 2012   this time, as the brand’s creative director, overseeing both its womenswear and menswear collections. today, slimane is the creative director at celine, where he (very controversially) replaced phoebe philo in 2018. hedi slimane, photo by y.r. via business of fashion after attending the royal academy of fine arts in antwerp, belgian born designer kris van assche moved to paris, where he started an internship at yves saint laurent. there, he worked under hedi slimane for four months, helping with his infamous black tie, also referred to as the rive gauche, collection. when slimane left ysl to design for dior homme, van assche went with him. though van assche departed dior to launch his own menswear label in 2004, he returned just three years later to succeed his former mentor as its artistic director of menswear. at dior homme, van assche became known for his sophisticated tailoring. while streetwear was taking over, he kept the three piece suit in fashion, even recreating christian dior’s bar jacket for men as part of his fall 2018 collection. van assche commented, “all of the cool kids that come in their loose streetwear clothing try on our suiting and they love it…we push back against that tailoring is over.” though he largely focused on the tailored suits dior homme had built its reputation on, van assche did incorporate more youthful, contemporary elements into the line’s luxury codes, creating a ‘dad sneaker’ that was unveiled by a$ap rocky and a limited edition bmx bike in collaboration with bogarde. while van assche experienced much success at dior homme, his designs played it safe and were met with little hype. after an impressive 11 year run, van assche stepped down in 2018. today, he is the creative director at berluti, a menswear label that specializes in exotic leathers. telegraph while it was rumored that he would either join versace or burberry following his departure from louis vuitton, kim jones filled kris van assche’s role at dior homme instead (renaming it dior men). and with him, jones brought the cool factor that dior’s menswear had been lacking. mining the house’s archives, he has given its couture heritage an athleisurewear edge. right away, jones started with a bang. before he even showed a collection, david beckham wore jones’s first design for the house to prince harry and meghan markle’s wedding. just one month later, jones opened spring 2019 with prince nikolai of denmark (jones’s mother is danish) and continued with a lineup that circled a 33 foot tall flower sculpture, which was crafted by artist kaws to look like a hybrid of his signature character and christian dior himself. each model was dressed in a powder colored, oblique cut (a reference to the shape in dior’s fall/winter 1950 collection) suit and high top, logo covered sneakers. at the same show, jones also released the first ever saddle bag for men. offering it in crossbody, backpack, and belt bag styles, they were each adorned with chunky, industrial hardware that was redesigned by matthew williams of 1017 alyx 9sm. since, jones has continued to produce hit collaborations with artists like hajime sorayama, raymond pettibon, and daniel arsham, as well as german luggage manufacturer rimowa. merging suitwear with streetwear, kim jones has brought new energy to dior men. while it was recently announced that jones has been appointed the artistic director of women’s haute couture, ready to wear, and fur at fendi, he will also remain at dior men, straddling two major houses just like his legendary predecessor karl lagerfeld. kim jones, photo by brett lloyd via gq will it be a veteran from a competing brand or unknown new talent? with time, dior’s legendary lineup of artistic directors will only continue to grow. as it does, revisit this article to learn more about the future creatives behind the french fashion house. photo by edward berthelot/getty images © copyright 2025 the vintage bar   all rights reserved.

to read this article, you must have a bravo subscription. also know as: the bella show. so, you know everything you need to know about louis vuitton's new cruise collection. ready for the next crash course? let's switch gears to dior. (yes, that french brand that just nabbed bella hadid as the face of its makeup.) last night, dior presented its latest collection in the gilded halls of an english palace. and if you weren't glued to the snapchat play by play, here's a quick primer on what went down. #emptyspaces at the @blenheimpalace, minutes before our first guests arrive. follow us on snapchat with our account name 'diorlive' for behind the scene views of the show. #diorcruise a photo posted by dior official (@dior) on may 31, 2016 at 10:48am pdt the show took place at blenheim palace. christian dior himself once showed dresses here in 1954; his successor, yves saint laurent, also used its posh confines for a show in 1958. at yesterday's event, models walked a hand painted runway that featured hunting scenes. â¤ï¸on the runway for @dior at the blenheim palace......... #dior #london @bellahadid #proudmommy a photo posted by yolanda (@yolanda.hadid) on may 31, 2016 at 10:40am pdt let's just face it: bella stole the show, here. mommy yolanda agreed, posting a photo of her daughter captioned with a bright red heart emoji. in a black and white dress (by dior, of course), kate beckinsale was one of the many celebrities who filled the front row. other famous guests included bella's bf "the weekend," emma roberts, kate mara, and kiernan shipka. several of the celebs were whisked out to the palace from london in a dior branded train. all lined up and ready to go! glimpse a backstage view of the models, seconds before hitting the catwalk. #diorcruise a photo posted by dior official (@dior) on jun 1, 2016 at 12:52am pdt as dior continues to search for a new creative director (raf simons stepped down from the position last fall), in house designers lucie meier and serge ruffieux took the reigns on this collection. the duo was inspired by high society's wanderlust in the years following world war ii, which resulted in wardrobes that blended inspiration from england and france. the collection featured plenty of tweed, along with tea dresses in exotic prints and jackets decked with hunting scenes. the collection also played up layers, with models sporting skirts over flared pants and shirts topped with vests. if we learned anything from this show, it's that scarves make excellent bracelets. we also predict that the gold heeled booties, featured with several of the looks, will form an instant waitlist. the lookbook is bravo's home for inspiring content and experiences that feed fashionistas with a steady diet of share worthy styles, personalities, and industry news. like us on facebook to stay connected to our daily updates. get news and updates about your favorite shows, plus 3 free credits to watch locked content. peacock is the streaming home of your favorite bravo shows plus so much more.

from dior’s whistle stop tour to the scottish highlands, to balenciaga’s shanghai spectacle, cruise shows have become increasingly far flung in recent years. what’s the return on investment for brands? get more news based on your interestsself.__wrap_n=self.__wrap_n||(self.css&&css.supports("text wrap","balance")?1:2);self.__wrap_b=(e,t,n)=>{let r=null==(n=n||document.queryselector(`[data br="${e}"]`))?void 0:n.parentelement;if(!r)return;let o=e=>n.style.maxwidth=e+"px";n.style.maxwidth="";let c=r.clientwidth,i=r.clientheight,a=c/2 .25,s=c+.5,l;if(c){for(o(a),a=math.max(n.scrollwidth,a);a+1<s;)o(l=math.round((a+s)/2)),r.clientheight===i?s=l:a=l;o(s*t+c*(1 t))}n.__wrap_o||"undefined"!=typeof resizeobserver&&(n.__wrap_o=new resizeobserver(()=>{self.__wrap_b(0,+n.dataset.brr,n)})).observe(r)};self.__wrap_n!=1&&self.__wrap_b(":r5nlb9scq:",1) ©2025 herlar, llc. all rights reserved. jing daily® is a registered u.s. trademark of herlar, llc.

a month after the pre fall voyager show in shanghai, lv goes full force by taking over barcelona’s iconic park güell for cruise 2025. get more news based on your interestsself.__wrap_n=self.__wrap_n||(self.css&&css.supports("text wrap","balance")?1:2);self.__wrap_b=(e,t,n)=>{let r=null==(n=n||document.queryselector(`[data br="${e}"]`))?void 0:n.parentelement;if(!r)return;let o=e=>n.style.maxwidth=e+"px";n.style.maxwidth="";let c=r.clientwidth,i=r.clientheight,a=c/2 .25,s=c+.5,l;if(c){for(o(a),a=math.max(n.scrollwidth,a);a+1<s;)o(l=math.round((a+s)/2)),r.clientheight===i?s=l:a=l;o(s*t+c*(1 t))}n.__wrap_o||"undefined"!=typeof resizeobserver&&(n.__wrap_o=new resizeobserver(()=>{self.__wrap_b(0,+n.dataset.brr,n)})).observe(r)};self.__wrap_n!=1&&self.__wrap_b(":r5nlb9scq:",1) ©2025 herlar, llc. all rights reserved. jing daily® is a registered u.s. trademark of herlar, llc.
fashion review christian dior, balenciaga, chanel, hermès and louis vuitton have turned cruise shows into diplomatic currency. the christian dior cruise show at drummond castle in perthshire, scotland.credit...lesley martin/reuters supported by by vanessa friedman when is a fashion show not just a fashion show? when it is a vehicle for cultural diplomacy. at least this appears to be the case with the cruise (or resort or pre spring or whatever you want to call them) destination extravaganzas that have taken place over the last month. these events increasingly serve to position the big five brands that hold them less as mere fashion houses and more as national ambassadors to the world: billion euro avatars of influence on unofficial state visits. once upon a time, back when this interstitial season was invented to bridge the gap between the fall and spring runway shows, cruise collections seemed to contain clothes that were more wearable or practical than designs shown during the regular seasons. now, at least in the hands of the mega brands, the clothes (or at least their wearability) are almost besides the point. the point is the spectacle, access and power they represent   of all kinds, including that of celebrity and social media. indeed, the front row stars are as much an attention grabbing part of the shows as the shows themselves. in a world of fashion micro trends, that may be the biggest trend of all. this was especially true this season, as the shows of the five big heritage french brands   chanel, louis vuitton, hermès, dior and balenciaga   served as de facto calling cards for the paris olympics, which is being touted as the most “fashion” olympics ever. it is no coincidence that two of those brands, louis vuitton and dior, are owned by lvmh, which is a top line sponsor of the olympics. nor is the fact that bernard arnault, the mastermind of lvmh, has explicitly stated that he sees his mega brands not as selling luxury, but selling “culture.” and it is worth noting that this was the first time balenciaga had shown in china, and, for hermès, the first new collection show held outside of france. “hermès has always had a strong connection with new york,” said the brand’s designer nadège vanhee, before her new york debut, held on pier 36 and complete with hanging yellow traffic lights and a gallic cocktail boîte.

 our pick of the globe trotting cruise 2025 shows, from dior’s takeover of drummond castle, scotland to max mara’s season finale in venice when you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. here’s how it works. the early flush of summer, between may and june, marks the arrival of the cruise shows, a round the world odyssey that sees fashion brands decamp to far flung locales to show their latest high summer offerings (the tradition began in the early 20th century as european fashion houses began to cater for the burgeoning jet set classes). after the cruise 2024 shows took us to mexico city, los angeles and seoul, this season, fashion houses looked closer to home, swapping cross continental travel for locations across europe. first, chanel showed in marseille in early may on the roof of the le corbusier designed cité radieuse, while gucci held a blockbuster show at london’s tate modern later in the month.