WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN: Globetrotting designer Kim Jones is bringing his next Dior men’s show to Egypt.
The men’s pre-fall collection is scheduled to be unveiled on Dec. 3 against the backdrop of the pyramids of Giza near Cairo, the brand said in a statement provided exclusively to WWD. “Designed by Kim Jones, the celestial collection celebrates a lifelong passion for travel,” it added.
Dior last year resumed its pre-coronavirus tradition of traveling men’s pre-fall collections with a show in London. Jones previously staged pre-fall runway displays in Miami and Tokyo. The British designer has a long-standing relationship with the African continent, having spent his childhood years in Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana.
The son of a hydrogeologist, Jones continues to travel the globe to gather inspiration and see rare and exotic animals in their natural habitat. He is passionate about conservation, sponsoring a number of endangered species including the pangolin and the douc langur monkey.
Founder Christian Dior was also known for his international outlook, establishing global subsidiaries shortly after launching his house in 1947. By the mid-1950s, the Dior empire included eight companies and 16 affiliates, and employed 1,700 people on five continents, according to the International Directory of Company History.
This will mark the first time Dior has staged a show in Egypt, following events in Italy, Greece, Spain, South Korea, China, the UK and the US in recent years. The French fashion house’s spring 2004 haute couture collection, designed by John Galliano, was a tribute to Ancient Egypt.