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For DIOR's cruise 2025 collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri weaves Scottish heritage into modern fashion, creating a dialogue between tradition and rebellion.

- ROHAIZATUL AZHAR

Scotland may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of Dior, but for Maria Grazia Chiuri, it was an inspired choice. Drummond Castle's sprawling gardens, steeped in centuries of history, offered the perfect backdrop for her cruise 2025 collection. Once graced by the late Queen Victoria herself, the setting mirrored Chiuri's vision for the collection: A seamless dialogue between heritage and contemporary design.

In designing the collection, Chiuri drew quite literally from the country's rich cultural fabric: Tartans, tweeds and cashmere took centre stage. Inspired by figures such as Mary, Queen of Scots, the collection borrowed historical elements like puffed sleeves, corseted waists, and pearl collars, and reimagined them for the modern woman. Corsetry appeared on shirting and outerwear, bustiers were styled with utilitarian anoraks and waders, and traditional crinoline shapes were transformed into playful miniskirts. This collision of historical grandeur and modern practicality felt fresh, bold, and undeniably Dior.

The collection's palette was deeply evocative, blending jewel tones like emerald and ruby with earthy greens, browns, and greys inspired by Scotland's rugged landscapes. Tartan, a quintessential Scottish motif, featured prominently in shades of purple, red, olive, and yellow. In counterpoint to its traditional associations, Chiuri's tartans also carried a punk edge-a nod to its subversion by countercultures since Vivienne Westwood's '70s heyday. This influence was evident in the collection's studs, grommets, eyelets, chains, and hamess straps, adding a hard-edged contrast to the romanticism of puffed sleeves and nipped waists.