Dior Cruise
For his Dior cruise collection, held in the fabled principality of Monaco, Raf Simons continued his exploration of the house’s glamorous, fairy-tale history that he began with his first couture collection for the house almost a year ago.
The calm, colorful, joyful collection couldn’t have been more at odds with the foreboding view of a stormy Mediterranean Sea. Yet Simons sent out signature Bar jackets, jaunty skirts, and flouncy dresses over slacks, as he since becoming artistic director, but here much sportier and springier. His color palette was broadened to include summery yellows, pinks, and royal blues. And, for the first time, he showed lace—layers and layers of multi-colored lace.
The choice of Monaco was no accident. Stars including Marion Cotillard and Jessica Biel had only to make the short trip from Cannes, where Dior has also been busy dressing a multitude of actresses on the red carpet. Following the show, it was off to the Oceanographic Museum, where Prince Albert and his wife, Princess Charlene of Monaco, held a reception showcasing the many courtly pieces—many of them Dior—worn by his mother, Grace Kelly.
