Christian Dior Resort 2020 Celebrates African Couture

Before now, hearing Christian Dior and African couture in the same sentence might have seemed highly unlikely. However, top fashion houses are always looking to the cradle of humankind for fashion inspiration and so also did Maria Grazia Chiuri, Italian designer and Dior’s Creative Director. For Dior’s Resort 2020 collection, Chiuri invited various artists from Africa to unite in the design and the result was a prime product of their collaborative effort. The collection was unveiled in a fashion show that took place inside the 16th century El Badi Palace in Marrakech, Morocco.

Christian Dior used some unprecedented methods for its Resort 2020 collection. Rather than simply borrow or copy African design concepts to create a culturally appropriated “tribal” collection, Chiuri’s approach sought to depeen the conversation on culture, couture and collaboration as a means to showcase the unique craftsmanship of African design. She consulted in depth with Anne Grosfilley, an expert in African textiles and commissioned Uniwax, a textile company based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast to create authentic wax print fabrics for use throughout the collection.

To make the design effort truly representative of all voices in the conversation behind this Christian Dior collection, Churi sought the help of British-Jamaican designer, Grace Wales Bonner and others including African-American artist Mickalene Thomas and West African designer Pathé Ouedraogo, who is best known for dressing Nelson Mandela. In doing this, a unified “common-ground” was explored that payed homage to the origins of the craft. By showcasing the collection on the African continent, she also showcased Africa as a welcome destination for artists, travellers, thrill-seekers. Special guests included guests included the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Jessica Alba, Karlie Kloss, Haim and Diana Ross.

According to the New York Times, “Ms. Chiuri said before the show that part of her goal was to highlight the fact that “couture” should no longer refer simply to the work of an atelier in France, but was really about culture: about know-how and history, human labor and the touch of the human hand, all of which applied to African wax prints as well as any woven jacquards.”

On social media, the collection garnered some mixed reviews with some people for and against the use of African fabrics and inspiration. In response, Dior decided to post a video on Twitter to help educate people about the thought and design process that went behind the making of the collection.

Learn more about the multicultural fabric of the #DiorCruise 2020 show in this exchange between #MariaGraziaChiuri, African textile expert Anne Grosfilley and model-filmmaker Adesuwa. #DiorCommonGround pic.twitter.com/uNPuJ8Dvym

— Dior (@Dior) May 5, 2019

Here are some top looks from the collection:

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 What is your point of view about this collaborative collection that showcases both culture and couture?

Jamila Kyari

I’m a seasoned communications and marketing consultant with a penchant for all things stylish and chic. Follow me on social media and subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates on industry trends and much more!

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