DIOR CRUISE 2020

Last night my instagram feed was OVERFLOWING with pictures from Diors 2020 Cruise show. The show was held in Marrakesh, Morocco. Maria Grazia Chiuri's latest collection showed the brand embracing global styles and highlighting African cultures.

After 2018's cruise collection, fashions favourite Diet Prada pointed out the similarities between Dior's prints and the prints of an Indian designer's. Dior were accused of stealing these prints and settled the uproar with a financial payment to the original designer. So... this made me think, is this years collection an apology? Isn't this what they should've done 2 years ago instead of copying patterns? or has Maria simply learnt from her mistakes?

At first observations I loved it! Simple. The visuals were breath taking and the fire and water together, along with the choice of music felt so dramatic, and really created such an amazing atmosphere!

Christian Dior is famously a Parisian fashion house, so the first question I kind of had was how or why did this 'collaboration' with morocco come about and how does this feel appropriate to their core brand values?

The show notes opened with a quote by Moroccan writer Tahar Ben Jelloun: “Culture teaches us to live together, teaches us that we’re not alone in the world, that other people have different traditions and ways of living that are just as valid as our own.”

There’s a fine line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation in fashion, and it was a topic Maria Grazia Chiuri addressed after the show stating “In this moment, there’s a lot of focus on cultural appropriation, but I think we have to explain how craftsmanship travels around the world; why it’s often so difficult to find the ‘real’ reference,” she said, referring to the pan-African Wax print fabrics that characterised the collection. “Wax started in Europe and moved through Asia, then back to Africa. We want to move our heritage in a contemporary way and give it a different attitude, and this material does that.”

Vogue highlighted that the collaboration between Dior and ‘Uniwax’ meant that all of the fabric within the collection was made in Marrakech itself. Now I think this is great- to go to the country where the craft was originated, rather than using a mass producer elsewhere. But to what extent does this appreciate the African culture? Having local African artists, poets and designers design patterns is great, but who is benefitting from this? To me it seems unfair to enter a poverty stricken country and 'use' them to make money off? I think we can appreciate the culture as much as we like, but to almost glorify the culture and make it out to be far more glamorous and luxurious than many parts are, is wrong! I do really like the collection but I would've liked to see from Dior, maybe on their social accounts is more awareness for artists in Africa and ways that the brand and its customers can support the local communities which they have been inspired by.

Focusing on the garments side of things, I loved the shapes and with the patterns combined they really do feel like the perfect garment for this season! However, my eyes were on the accessories - the new designs on saddle bags and book bag totes were everything! I love the styles so much and they feel so on trend for this season. For me personally, I feel like accessories, especially handbags, are the part which you can re wear season after season, with classic styles never going out of fashion and being updates when necessary. However, with the saddle bags and book bag totes I want to love them but I know by the end of the year everyone will be bored! I would've really liked to see a more classic life long bag seen here! Saying that though I was loving the new logo belt, it did feel like an updated, more sophisticated version of the Gucci double G, and even though I'd never even consider being able to afford to buy it, I can't wait to see how some of my favourire instagrammers style it, and other pieces from the collection, over the next couple months, especially InTheFrow!

I still haven’t made my mind up to whether this collection appropriated or appreciated Marrakech’s culture. As we know many high street trends are influenced highly and adapted from the catwalk trends, so with so many people talking about this collection, what is the high street going to make of it? I really hope the likes of Zara and H&M don't jump on the 'African' patterns bandwagon ignorantly.

E