SAVE THE DATE: Dior has penciled in March 23 as the date for its men’s pre-fall runway show in Hong Kong, breaking with its tradition of unveiling the collection in December.
While the brand did not give a reason for the switch, late March is traditionally a busy period for events in China. Shanghai Fashion Week is set to kick off on March 25, while the Art Basel Hong Kong fair is scheduled from March 28 to 30. The Dior collection is due to arrive in stores from May.
Kim Jones, artistic director of menswear at Dior, unveiled the pre-fall line in Miami in 2019 ahead of Art Basel Miami Beach, and is known for his close connection to contemporary artists, collaborating with the likes of Kenny Scharf, Peter Doig, Kaws and Daniel Arsham. Last year, he presented the collection in front of the pyramids of Giza.
Coming on the heels of the Louis Vuitton men’s pre-fall show in Hong Kong last November, the planned Dior event signals parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s confidence in the growth outlook for the historic luxury hub. Dior has yet to announce the show location.
It will mark the French luxury house’s return to Hong Kong after a women’s haute couture show in 2014 and a men’s display in 2016. Present in Hong Kong since 1980, Dior has 11 boutiques there, of which six carry its menswear line.
Hong Kong is emerging from a challenging period, with antigovernment protests in 2019 followed by protracted border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, strangling tourism flows.
Hong Kong’s retail sales rose 17.1 percent between January and November 2023 compared with the same period the previous year, according to figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on Thursday.
It quoted a government spokesman as saying that the value of total retail sales increased visibly in November amid a revival of inbound tourism.