In 1955, Monsieur Dior presented his work in Perthshire, Scotland, in the ballroom of the Gleneagles Hotel. Now, Dior returns to county Perth to unveil its 2025 cruise collection in the gardens of Drummond Castle
While it may not be the most obvious locale for a French fashion house to stage its Resort show, there are multiple – somewhat surprising – ties between Scotland and Maison Dior. Founder Christian Dior’s first brush with Scotland came when he named a Haute Couture ensemble ‘Écosse’ (Scotland) in 1947. Next, he staged his spring-summer show in Perthshire in 1951, followed by a presentation of 172 models at a charity ball held at The Gleneagles Hotel, Glasgow, in 1955.
No collection of Scotland-derived designs is complete without a tribute to tartan: “It’s probably the only fancy fabric that resists fashions,” Christian Dior wrote in his The Little Dictionary of Fashion. Playing with various colourways – from royal purples to muted yellows and eye-catching reds – this historic cut in the cut of a kilt is undeniably intrinsically characteristic of the region. But it also continues to cross fashions past and present, from romanticism to punk.
Beyond the tartan influence, there are literal ties between the past and present interspersed throughout the collection – a cinematic montage, featuring photographs from the spring/summer '55 presentation transformed into prints or employed as appliques on the edges of kilts or pea coats. Literal and figurative reflections on Scotland’s past continue to lace the line-up of looks: The unicorn and the thistle, symbols of Scotland, embroidered in medieval millefleurs motifs. Coats and capes with large hoods. Rain boots come and go. The iconic Bar jacket comes with black velvet Brandenburg buttons. Balmoral bonnets and knee-high tartan socks dot the collection. Velvet and virginal white lace.
See all the looks from Dior's 2025 Resort collection below:
