Photo: Estelle Hanania for Dior
Dior's 2019 Cruise Collection was unveiled on May 25th (local time) at Château de Chantilly, located near Paris. The city of Chantilly is known for its traditional lacemaking as well as its deep ties to the traditions of French equestrianism. Built between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Renaissance-style Château de Chantilly is adjacent to the world-famous Chantilly Racecourse, and the castle's grand stables are open to the public as a horse museum.

The show opened with a performance by female jockeys galloping on white horses.

Dior Women's Artistic Director Maria Grazia Chiuri's 2019 Cruise Collection was inspired by the traditional Mexican female horsemen, "escaramuzas." Their feminine costumes, united "female strength," and "female camaraderie" evoked in the collection. These elements are expressed through styles that accentuate the waist by pairing voluminous ruffled skirts adorned with lace and tulle with fitted jackets and high belts, as well as pieces that reinterpret the traditional French textile "Toile de Jouy" and elevate it into modern designs.

The "strength of women" and "fraternity" are also inspired by the Amazons, a tribe of women in Greek mythology, and are incorporated into items such as pants paired with jackets made from Japanese cotton, culottes, and pleated skirts reminiscent of Christian Dior's "Drags" afternoon dress from his Spring/Summer 1948 Haute Couture collection. These pieces are paired with Dior's iconic saddle bags, reimagined by Maria Grazia Chiuri, men's shirts, and sophisticated black ties for a genderless look. It also gives a glimpse of the spirit of the "independent woman" depicted in Chilean author Isabel Allende's debut work, "The House of the Spirits," which Maria imagined.

The wide-brimmed straw hat designed by Stephen Jones and the white dress with traditional Mexican embroidery are also icons of this season. This time, footage of the production process in the atelier where the embroidery is applied to the dress was also revealed.

A look featuring Mexican embroidery is being created in the atelier.

Celebrities from around the world, including Natalia Dyer, Melanie Thierry, Alexa Chung, Chiara Ferragni, and Paris Jackson, attended the show, along with actress Yuko Araki from Japan.