Dior Cruise 2025 Resort “Mad Dioriosa” (reference to “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”, where leading actress is Dior house ambassador Anya Taylor-Joy). Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Dior.

Hold onto your kilts, fashionistas, because Maria Grazia Chiuri has done it again! The Dior Cruise 2025 Resort collection, unveiled in the gardens of Drummond Castle in Scotland, is an event that defies description, but I’ll try anyway.

Chiuri, known for her historical references, has dived deep into the late-medieval tapestry pool of ‘La Dame à la Licorne’ for this collection. She openly admitted, “I never think so much about my reference….” And boy, does it show! If you were expecting the polished elegance of Dior, think again. This collection is more “mad scientist meets gothic video game villain” than couture.

Picture this: a lineup of 89 pieces that could be mistaken for a fashion school project – last year’s fashion school project, to be precise. Chiuri reportedly hired a fleet of interns in May to cobble this together, and it shows. Some pieces scream Simone Rocha, just granged down. We’re talking kilts, ruffled skirts, and t-shirts adorned with stickers that look like they were stolen from a teenager’s bedroom. Add in some corsets, because why not?

And the slogans – oh, the slogans! “Fierce, Moody, Emotional, Difficult, Nag, Hysterical, Bossy, Feisty” (printed in gothic font on some garments) – a collection that reads like my teenage diary. If you ever needed a walking mood board, here it is.

Chiuri’s homage to Christian Dior’s 1955 presentation in Scotland might have been heartfelt, It looked more like another marketing line created far from the design studio. They don’t talk to each other anymore at Dior, aren’t they?

We’re treated to an explosion of medieval embroidery with unicorns and thistles, or so it seemed (because nothing says ‘resort collection’ like medieval symbolism). These motifs are transformed into heraldic embroideries that look like… something different.

Chiuri didn’t stop at medieval, though. She threw in a map of Scotland here and there, just in case you forgot where you were. This nod to cultural encounters is sweet, but the execution? Not so much. The collection features tartan in ways that would make both punk rockers and Highland dancers cringe. Romanticism and punk are apparently having a very public feud on the runway, and it’s not pretty.

Photographs from the 1955 collection are used as appliques (stickers) on kilts and pea coats, like cinematic postcards from a bygone era that nobody asked to revisit. But where’s the unicorn you ask? Well… I’m still sitting there and waiting for it to appear. The visuals clash with diverging textures of velvet and lace, dressing contemporary equestrians who look more ready for a gothic horse show than a fashion runway.

Exaggerated sleeves, iridescent embroidery, lace collars, and pearls adorn the dark, moody pieces, making the models look like they’re auditioning for a Tim Burton film. And just when you think it can’t get any more bizarre, in comes the feathery woven fishnet, transforming into mauve dresses that scream nostalgia – for what, I’m not sure.

Chiuri’s “inventive choreography” of fashion history and modern absurdity offers a journey alright – one you’ll want to take a detour from. The collection’s stages are supposed to be subjects of creativity, but they feel more like a confused narrative.

Dior’s Cruise 2025 Resort collection is a wild, hysterical ride through Scotland’s past and Chiuri’s disturbed present. If you’re into historical cosplay with a side of teenage angst, this collection is your jam. Otherwise, it’s a reminder that sometimes, even the rich fashion houses can trip spectacularly over their tartan skirts.

See All Looks Dior Cruise 2025 Resort “Mad Dioriosa”

See the photos selection of Drummond Castle, Scotland – setting for Dior show