Dior heads to Scotland for its next cruise show

Dior will present its next cruise collection in Scotland, with a show on June 3 at the historic Drummond Castle, the Paris-based fashion house confirmed on Wednesday.

“A poetic invitation where the past and the future meet, celebrating the unique and powerful bonds forged since the beginnings of the House, for the autumn-winter défilé of 1947,” the house said in a statement.

The location is spectacular, with a Renaissance garden dating back to 1630, containing French statues and Italian terraces, an ideal setting for a French maison run by Rome-born creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri. The castle is located on a prominent column of rock known as Gask Ridge, which was once the site of ancient Roman fortifications.

Drummond Castle is arguably best known as the setting for the 1995 film. Rob Roy, where the evil Montrose played by John Hurt lived.

This is not Dior's first trip to Scotland. In the 1950s, the house hosted a ball at the nearby Gleneagles Hotel to present its spring 1955 collection.

“The founding couturier (Monsieur Dior) named an iconic haute couture ensemble Écosse on that occasion,” Dior noted.

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The castle is now the seat of Lady Jane Heathcote-Drummond Willoughby, 28th Baroness Willoughby of Eresby, daughter and heir of the 3rd Earl of Ancaster. She was also a bridesmaid at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Under Chiuri's leadership, Dior has earned a reputation for working with local artisans on annual cruise collections. Most recently, Dior hosted its latest cruise collection in Mexico City, following trips to Seville and Athens.

Dior is not the first major fashion brand to choose Scotland as the location for its show. A decade ago, Karl Lagerfeld organized a 2012 Métiers d'Art exhibition at Linlithgow Castle, just outside Edinburgh.