While Greece remains in the international spotlight for 2021, the bicentenary of the start of the War of Independence, Athens will host the new cruise show of the famous Parisian fashion house, Christian Dior. In an exclusive report by WWD, the presentation of the cruise show will be held on June 17, in full compliance with the health measures due to COVID-19.

“Greece is a country that has been always close to my heart,” said Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s artistic director of women’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessory collections. “From mythology to the ‘Odyssey’ and from architecture and philosophy to priceless crafts, Athens for me represents a dream destination for staging a show and celebrating, more than ever, the magic and the transmission of cultures.”

It is not the first time that Dior house chose Greece for the presentation of its collection. 70 years ago, Christian Dior’s “Longue” haute couture line was debuted at the Acropolis during a photo-shoot for Paris Match.

“It is a great honor to be able to make this dream come true on June 17, in the heart of a capital of such prodigious beauty and through a wide range of artistic exchanges, from dance to drawing, and the ancestral skills that so fascinate me, which I will have the joy and privilege of showcasing in my collection,” she added.

The event will showcase crafts and artistic pieces from local artists, a strategy that Dior developed in previous resort shows in Lecce, Italy and Marrakech, Morocco.