Dior was in Seville yesterday at the monumental Plaza de España for the occasion of its Cruise 2023 presentation—a collection embodying a Spanish allure. Aligning with the house’s tour of culture that has informed many recent collections, Maria Grazia Chiuri exalted the Flamenco icon, Carmen Amaya, finding inspiration in the woman known as La Capitana for her expression of the Spanish culture and figurehead representation of plural femininity.
If the location wasn’t captivating enough, abundant garlands of roses and an orchestra musing on dynamic symphonies surely did the job. As notes rang clear, a stationary troupe of vermillion-draped dancers expressed from their stoops while a pair versed in traditional Spanish choreography stepped and twirled nearby. In front of the spectacle, Chiuri’s designs unfolded, revealing an exquisite compilation of cultural cues, archival notes, and collaborations with masters in their craft.
Courtesy of Dior.
Gliding along the stone-paved walkway, the silhouettes exuded romance and escapism by harnessing the beauty of traditional garb like matador uniforms, flamenco costumes, and Andalusian equestrian garments. There were effeminate shapes embracing softness and curves, like full-skirted gowns in rippling satin, off-the-shoulder ruffles cascading into blouses, or delicate laces and sheer fabrications layered to reveal bits of the skin they covered. In juxtaposition, the designs also encompassed a line of mannish looks and styles lent from the menswear oeuvre like trousers with suspenders, cropped vests and bolero jackets, equestrian chaps, and suiting.
Seen in a palette comprised of black, white, and red, house staples caught our eye with special updates—like Dior’s signature Bar jackets featuring intricate embroidery, courtesy of artisan Jesús Rosada, and iconic Saddle bags decked with leather embroidering techniques from Javier Menacho Guisado. Christian Dior’s own design, the Bal à Séville couture gown from Spring/Summer 1956, also made a return, outfitted in a print echoing the hues of a Goya painting, and the work of the poet and playwright Federico García Lorca. Also lingering in our minds are styles like a skirt-and-blouse pairing in white lace featuring leg of mutton sleeves and latticed buttons down the front, styled with riding boots; a pair of suspender-fastened black trousers that saw a delicate Manilla shawl (a collaboration with María José Sánchez Espinar)in the place of a jacket or blazer; and a textural red skirt with a sheer top and a thick leather belt, which saw an ornate lace fan hanging from its hardware—the product of a collaboration with Abanicos Carbonell.
Dior Cruise 2023, photo © Angela Suarez, courtesy of Dior.
Other collaborative efforts of note included the suite of Granville rose jewelry (an homage to Monsieur Dior) designed by traditional metal worker Orfebrería Ramos; two variants on a traditional hat shape executed by Fernández y Roche, which looked to an old photograph of the Duchess of Alba and Jackie Kennedy together on horseback; and Daniel López-Obrero Carmona’s workwith the artist Pietro Ruffo, which saw Carmona’s Cardoba leather techniques applied to decorative bags, house Andalusian saddles, and a suite of horse riding equipment.
Courtesy of Dior.
Courtesy of Dior.
Courtesy of Dior.
