Stars celebrate Dior turning 70 at Paris Couture Week
PARIS -- Christian Dior feted its 70th birthday at Paris' Couture Week Monday in style with an accomplished, star-filled show that mapped the iconic house's journey across the world. It was an unabashed, encyclopedic celebration of femininity in all its guises for Maria Grazia Chiuri, the house's first female designer.
It didn't rain on Chiuri's first outdoor presentation -- and her best show to date -- but the unexpected rays of sun caused their own problems for the myriad VIP guests, including Celine Dion, Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman and Kirsten Dunst.
They sweltered alongside the forest-like show decor of verdant grass, exotic trees, huge wooden elephants, crocodiles and eagles at the Invalides venue.
"I'm going to stand in the shade as it's just too hot," model Karlie Kloss explained as she raced away momentarily for the refuge of a tree from her front row seat.
Meanwhile, actor Robert Pattinson -- a Dior brand ambassador -- mingled with guests in the cool of the shade cast surreally by a gargantuan atlas, hoisted up above the show foliage and.
"Clash of the Titans" actress Gemma Arterton, who attended the fall-winter show, credited Chiuri for pushing the Parisian brand in a pro-female direction.
"I find it very feminine, especially since Maria Grazia (Chiuri) has been designing for them," Arterton said. "She obviously supports women, and I'm a big old feminist."
Arterton, who called the house "iconic," chose -- perhaps intentionally -- to wear an empowering tailored white Dior mens tuxedo to the show.