It was hot. So hot that when your feet hit the sand, the feeling that started off as cozy comfort quickly escalated into an ‘ow, ow, ow, ow’ kind of comical chorus, warning signals from the cognitive conscious translated into a semi-coherent verbal form.
You would think that by now, a resident like yours truly would be accustomed to scorching hot sandy beaches and the bite of the iconic Aussie summer sun. Alas, the bite of the heat this time was worse than the bark, and we literally ‘hot footed’ it across the dunes to a safe and shady retreat under the shelter of the trees. Standing there looking out over the dunes, in awe of the vast beauty, I’m reminded as to why we’re shooting at this magical location… it’s all about the light. A gloriously aureate light, reflecting shards of brilliant warmth from the sun. A light that is not that dissimilar to the light that inspired Maria Grazia Chiuri and her mindfulness when connecting the beautifully French Dior heritage to the different landscapes, cultures and artistic expertise from around the world in this Dior Cruise 2020 collection. This was a fundamental inspiration for us being here, and let’s not forget that this was all about Dior Cruise, a collection that conjures aspirations surrounding travel, holidays and an overall yearning for wanderlust and adventure. The Dior Cruise 2020 show was presented in Marrakesh, deep in the heart of Morocco. For Maria Grazia Chiuri this collection was imagined almost like a map, made up with sentiments surrounding tradition, culture, places and highlighted by the creative collaborators who partook in the specific design elements that brought this magical collection to life. PathèO , Grace Wales Bonner, Mickalene Thomas, Anne Grosfilley and the incredible wax prints of Uniwax, all coming together as integral parts of the typography to create this beautiful Dior collection.
So our aspirations for holidays were answered when we reached our seaside location and in celebration of this wanderlust collection, captured some of our favourite looks from Dior Cruise 2020. A flowing pleated silk gown, nipped at the waist and cinched with strong CD hardware clasp, and a wax printed ballgown produced in collaboration with the Ivory Coast atelier Uniwax, meticulously detailed in traditional monochromatic print were two of my favourite pieces from the collection… And had me dreaming of packing them in my souvenir-sticker laden suitcase. With cameo appearances from some iconic and favourite Dior accessories, a cheeky knit twinset and the classic Dior Bar jacket, this editorial was almost complete, with the exception of one of our favourite accessories of the year; the Dior 30 Montaigne bag.
Named after the address of Dior’s first store, 30 Avenue Montaigne, the Dior 30 Montaigne Bag is already well-noted as the perfect travel companion, just ask my sandy little friend. Maria Grazia Chiuri is quoted as mentioning this bag is “designed to become a new classic” and is “specifically tailored to today’s contemporary women, their needs, desires and free independent lifestyles” .. does this mean that this independent woman can book a one way ticket to Morocco please? For our editorial we chose pieces of a climate specific colour palette of warm sunny hued 30 Montaigne’s and two very nice seaside colour specific options thrown in for good measure. Our go-to bag for the holiday season with a variety of ways to be worn, this bag will forever be on my Christmas wishlist, along with a nice spot to rest my deckchair and maybe some fresh seafood, just don’t tell my sandy and scene stealing crustacean friend.
And so as the sun set on our seaside location, and the final frame was captured, we carefully packed our Dior classics and placed Cruise essentials back in their box, ready for their next adventure. Which to me seemed perfectly fitting, after all, Dior is a brand built upon adventure and the journeys that make up our lives over time. No matter if you’re a ‘fan’ of hot sandy beaches or cold snowy streets, we can always count on Dior to provide us with the perfect partner to cruise with… x
Featuring the Dior 30 Montaigne + Dior Cruise 2020 + Dior Bar Jacket, available online and in Dior boutiques now.
