Imagine walking into a fashion show that’s akin to a verdant garden, laced with 170 trees that will be replanted across different locations in Paris. Such was the botanical, deeply contemplative splendor that ensued at Dior’s Spring/Summer 2020 show at Paris’ Hippodrome stadium.

Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Creative Director of Dior, looked effervescent as she greeted guests, who lauded her efforts towards stirring a debate about the environment. In fact, for inspiration, she looked towards archival photographs of Catherine, Christian Dior’s beloved sister, who tended the family’s gardens. “Think we must. We must think,”  she asked of the guests.

Maria wanted to create an “inclusive garden,” where coexistence and diversity thrive. “Our goal is to create pieces that are timeless,” Maria told Villa 88. “Fashion is something that speaks of the future, about innovation. We have to find the balance between creating pieces that are timeless and innovative. And the only way to do that is to speak with people who have the knowledge that we don’t have.”

The materials used for the pieces dressed the runway will be recuperated by the La Réserve des Arts and entirely re-used. The designs were created in collaboration with Coloco, an atelier focused on collective art and cultivating gardens in urban environments. With motifs, embroideries and raffia fabric, Maria summoned up the feel of an enchanting garden, awash in colors.

Of the collection, Dubai-based TV producer and host Diala Makki, who attended the show, said, “It’s great seeing the fashion industry being eco-conscious and wary of what is happening to the overall climate of the world. We’re now being challenged to think.” She added, “It’s our duty to make smart choices when it comes to our environment. Dior’s #PlantingForTheFutureCampaign is a very humble set up.”

 Image: @dior