For Dior‘s Cruise 2020 show, the showspace was developed in collaboration with Sumano, an association that seeks to revive and protect Moroccan tribal women’s crafts such as art, pottery, weaving, and vegetal dyeing. Sumano derives its name from the first names of the three women artisans (Suzanne, Manuela, and NOuky), the grandmothers of the association’s founders, provided the decor of the show space, in the form of fabrics and cushions on which guests sat on, as well as painted ceramic plates.

This season, the Maison debuts a new concept, called Dior Common Ground, which highlights the similarities without amalgamating, appropriating, or “othering” them. Though there are visible African elements, this is not an African collection. Instead, this new project, is a truly respectful one, that showcases common traditions and values, despite cultural differences. And, continuing on in this vein, that was precisely why the city of Marrakech, which serves as an intersection between the Mediterranean, Europe and Africa, was chosen for the Cruise 2020 show. Not only is the city a melting pot of cultures, and a place where artists and relatives are known to have converged, it was also named as the first ever “African capital of culture 2020”. The Cruise 2020 collection is therefore a tribute dedicated to celebration of difference between Africa, and the storied Maison.

Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s decision to showcase African fabrics and prints alongside Dior’s resulted in a collaboration with the Abidjan-founded Uniwax, one of the last surviving factories producing Wax fabrics through mechanised artisanal techniques, and also a company dedicated to the protection of African creativity and cultural heritage. And, in the true spirit of collaboration, the edging of all the fabrics produced for this collection bear the inscription “Édition Spéciale Christian Dior – Uniwax”, accompanies all the printed pieces of the season, called “Wax”. The meticulously crafted prints depicting ancient symbols, alphabetic characters, stylised florals and animals, along with illustrations of cars, fans, light bulbs or phones require 20 transformative steps to create. Each motif was given their monikers by the women of Togo.

To further cement this creative partnership with Africa, Dior also seated the work of Pathé Ouédraogo, one of Africa’s leading designers, to showcase his bold prints in his signature bright colours, in the form of a special shirt, in which the designer pays tribute to Nelson Mandela.

Prints aside, no Dior collection is ever complete without an interpretation of the Bar jacket introduced in the 1950s New Look era, which was so significant to the Maison, that it may be considered as one of its House Codes. For this Cruise 2020 season’s version of the Bar jacket, Chiuri partnered with LVMH prize-winner Grace Wales Bonner, of British-Jamaican descent, and Mikalene Thomas, who first collaborated with Dior on the 2018 edition of Dior Lady Art Project.

The Verdict: Personally, I ADORED the collection! With the Wax prints, capes, slightly Bohemian vibes, Maria’s signature silhouettes, full ball gown skirts, and voluminous eveningwear, it was certainly a partnership through and through.

Images and videos courtesy of Dior