Initially created as a means of giving the wealthy customers of the fashion Houses ready to wear summer outfits for vacations in the heart of winter, as time has gone on Cruise shows have been hosted across the globe! Held in the off-season between the Autumn/Winter and Summer/Spring collections, the Houses have now started hosting these Cruise collections to clients who live in these destinations or the clientele who actually live there. These shows also allow the Houses to work with and showcase the local talent within these countries to create a series of compelling collaborations that may have never been seen before.

Diors choice to host this show in Scotland on June 3rd of 2024, highlighted gorgeous aspects of Scotland’s history as well as the wonderful work of local Scottish businesses and designers, like Samantha McCoach of ‘Le Kilt’. The current creative director of Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri, has aimed to highlight the different types of craft across the globe and with this past show she did an amazing job. The choice also reflected the brand's history with Scotland, playing upon Christian Dior’s own unexpected love for the country (a look in his sophomore collection was entitled ‘Ecosse’). But this also strengthens the idea of the collection, with the inspiration Mary Queen of Scots also being a Queen of France!

Celebrities like Jennifer Lawerence and Anya Taylor-Joy flew into Edinburgh and sat on tartan covered benches in the gorgeously scenic grounds of Drummond Castle in the heart of Perthshire as an ode to Scotland in all forms walked before them!

The History

Dior’s history with Scotland began all the way back in the 1950s by Christian Dior himself. The connection is especially strong to Perthshire in particular as this was where Mr Dior unveiled the 1951 Spring-Summer collection, making it the undoubtedly perfect place for Chiuri to host this past collection, following in the footsteps of Dior himself.

For this show in particular, Chiuri drew inspiration from an undoubtedly iconic member of Scotland’s history, Mary Queen of Scots. A great deal of the silhouettes and creations within the show are almost ‘punkified’ editions of Tudor inspirations that have been brought into the modernism ideas of fashion.

A 90s esque red and black tartan was walked alongside a complete contrast of historical references - intricate floor length gowns, embroidered bodices that are a direct inspiration from Mary Stuart herself (see; Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power by Claire Hunter that Chiuri cited for reference) and a delicate silver netting reminiscent of chainmail - to play upon the traditional history of Scotland while also referencing the brutality of that Tudor age.

Many of the accessories are older in aesthetic (or have older references) but feature modern twists like a choker with yellow gold charms dangling from the piece or a traditional Glen Garry piping hat being embellished with delicate pearls.

And while the entire collection was full of amazing pieces, the star of the show for us at McCalls Highlandwear were easily the tartans!

The Tartans

The tartans used within this show are a great play upon the core themes of the show Dior were trying to convey. According to Grazia, Chiuri “found a tartan check in the Harris Tweed archives and worked with them to recreate it in a yellow and purple check that reminded her of the gorse and heather you see across the ‘cinematic’ Scottish landscape”. This takes an ‘ancient’ item or aesthetic and brings it into the modern day with a gloriously punkish Parisian twist, making it undoubtedly the perfect pieces for this collection!

The show kicked off with a series of purple tartan outfits. From tailored jackets, off the shoulder dresses and even to intricately panelled pieces reminiscent of armour, the deep heather hues within this tartan are something to marvel at. Enhanced by the beautiful botanics of the grounds of Drummond Castle, this was a dark based tartan that is the complete opposite of all images of summertime, yet it worked beautifully. The additional shades of black and lilac within come together to pull off those punkish themes and Scottish traditionalism perfectly.

The first piece of the show is a special showcase of this as it emulates the styling of the ‘Great Kilt’ (see: our ‘The History of The Kilt’ blog post) beautifully, with a wide neckline and a movement to the fabric, amongst like it had just been slipped on (though we all know that is certainly not the case!).

Part of the undeniable beauty of the hues of this tartan means it is hard to find a perfect match!

However we believe we at McCalls have found two of the closest that also allow you to add your own spin upon them! The Highland Mist tartan is a great start as it features the beautiful decadence of the duality of purples present within Dior’s own, yet a white overcheck brakes up the shades perfectly!

Otherwise the Scotland Forever Modern Tweed tartan could be a great option as it once again has the gorgeous shades of rich purple present within yet features a great deal more of white in an overcheck. The white almost emphasises the purples more and creates a lovely tartan!

The next tartan to be showcased is a ‘more traditional’ looking tartan! Based in deep crimson red, this tartan is what everyone thinks of when you picture Scotland. The white overcheck adds a pop against the dark red and black, breaking up those darker shades for a breath of fresh air. Once again this is a more autumnal hued tartan, but it perfectly evoked those thoughts of ‘punk’ that the designers were evidently inspired by.

The red tartan has been styled much more contemporary than the purple making it more wearable in some cases. The purple looks featured more avant garde elements that had clear inspirations of traditional Scotland, while the red tartan has been treated completely differently. It still has those elements of high fashion that the mere image of Dior embodies in waves, but was treated in a different regard. Some of these looks are paired with graphic tees that are imprinted with imagery of Dior’s previous Scottish shows. The standout (at least in my opinion) is the delicate, Argyll inspired cutout jumper that is paired with a beautifully pleated long tartan skirt, directly influencing the Scottish Kilt (something we here at McCalls know a lot about).

We’ve been scouring our extensive tartan collection and we’ve been able to find two tartans that could embody the perfect Dior Red for you!

The first tartan (and the best match) would have to be Cunningham Modern tartan! The shades line up almost perfectly while the dimensions of the checkers look the most similar! A higher additional amount of red is simply a bonus in the Cunningham Modern!

Or you could go for our second choice of the Inverness Modern which is not an identical match but rings a reminiscent bell to allow you to have your own personal nod to your favourite Dior tartan as the barely noticeable extra colours present with this tartan simply add a delightful depth of dimension from afar!

The third tartan look of the evening was a dark almost mustard yellow tartan that worked perfectly alongside the red. Once more it has the richness of Autumn, though a delicate touch of summertime with those bright hues didn’t go amiss either! The yellow tartan worked best in the lavish lengths of thick material drawn around the shoulders of the models, spilling across the gravel catwalk to steal all the focus in a dramatic vision of Scottish patriotism. The greens of the grass and hedges at Drummond Castle worked beautifully against the yellows in a way you wouldn't see coming, but they brought out a different tone hidden within the fabric to create a gorgeous set of images.

The different textures with this tartan were a really great moment on the eye. From a more armour adjacent outfit where the tartan looks as if it was almost printed upon the fabric which creates a really clean cut and streamlined look, to what looks like woollen and woven floor length shawl that delicately drapes across the shoulder. These two different textures create two almost completely separate looking tartans; one with a brighter more luminous hue while the woollen one appears darker and richer.

If you desire your very own yellow tartan inspired by Dior’s then we would recommend the MacLeod Dress Ancient tartan!

Although not as close of a match as the previous tartans, this one features the same hues of yellow and black as Dior’s with a lovely red overlay for a pop of colour not present within Dior’s!

For an even better match to inspire your own Dior look, than the Barclay Dress Modern tartan is a great find. The bright hues of this tartan almost perfectly match the more concentrated yellows previously discussed to create a warming tartan reminiscent of sunshine!

The white overcheck and black accents break up the intense yellows and offer a great deal of depth and intrigue into the tartan, making it a fantastic choice for any event you wish to stand out at!

The final tartan on the rural runway was one of dark grey. While it may be an unassuming tartan, this doesn’t mean it’s any less wowing than the others! The dark grey has an almost purple shift to it, tying it in with the very first tartan unveiled by Dior. The colours danced under the Scottish skies, the unassuming shades coming to life under a watchful gaze! A delicate touch of red dances between the checkers, breaking up the darker hues to create a gorgeous point of difference.

This tartan was styled as another long homage to the kilt, with a leather belt adorned with silver accents and a cropped asymmetrical leather jacket.

These different textures allow the different shades of the tartan to come forth and shine within their own right, while adding a point of interest within the outfit. As well as this, Dior once again takes our Scottish traditions and brings them to modern times with an edgy twist! This outfit was contrasted by a completely separate styling of the next look with the same tartan. This one had the tartan come forth in delicate little touches of the outfit, making it once again the standout pieces but in an entirely separate way. The tartan was presented in a zip up bustier and little shorts alongside a billowing, layered black shirt jacket. The bustier added shape to the outfit, allowing the skirt of the shirt jacket to develop a shape not unlike the traditional Tudor silhouette.

This outfit was brought right back into the present day with the addition of a metal zipper that broke up the tartan and matching Argyll knee high socks underneath slouched leather boots. The silver of the outfit was contrasted by the undeniably in fashion gold sea creature accents dangling from a black leather choker.

For a similar tartan to this for your own use, then look no further than our very own Silver pride at McCalls Highlandwear! Between the matching grey bases and the delightful little dabble of red thrown over the top, you’ve got an almost perfect match!

Overview

A great honour to Scottish history, the Dior 2025 Cruise show was an awe inspiring return to the land from the company after almost several decades.

Christian Dior himself was celebrated the whole way, with images of his last Scottish shows sewn into the clothes made in his name years later. A fluttering of them adorned a Harris Tweed long skirt made by Scottish designer Le Kilt, bridging two of the show's biggest points (Scotland and Dior himself) to create a gorgeous piece that demonstrates the raw talent within Scotland’s industries and designers.

With the event topping all expectations, us at McCalls highlandwear will certainly be keeping an eye on Dior and we implore you to do so as well!