Christian Dior to return to the UK for SS17 cruise show

London - Christian Dior is set to make its return to the UK, where it held one of its earliest shows, for its spring/summer 2017 cruise collection showcase in Blenheim Palace.

Set to take place on May 31, at the Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the stately home first welcomed the acclaimed designer Christian Dior himself in 1954, when he was invited by the former Duchess of Marlborough to present his couture designs. At the time the palace was the principal residence of the Duke of Marlborough and his wife and Dior brought over 100 items from his winter collection to present them to a group of over 1,500 women, including Princess Margaret. The French fashion house returned to the palace in 1958, when Yves Saint Laurent presented his collection for the label following the founder’s death a year earlier.

The SS17 cruise collection is slated to be the first create by Raf Simons successor, who has yet to be named, as the luxury fashion house revealed the in-house design team would create its upcoming collection up to autumn/winter 2016/2017, but declined to say who would develop the following collections. Christian Dior is not the only luxury label set to host its cruise collection in the UK, as Italian fashion house Gucci previously revealed plans to show its pre-spring/summer collection 2017 in Westminster Abbey.