Preparations at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens are underway, as French fashion powerhouse Dior will unveil its cruise collection designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri today at 9.30 p.m. CET.

Approximately 400 high-profile guests are expected in Athens for the show, which Dior is planning to also broadcast live in open areas in Soufli and Kalamata, two Greek towns that inspired the fashion house and connected it to local textiles and materials. In Athens, the event will be broadcast in the open space of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.

Greek authorities gave Dior clearance to stage photo shoots at several key sites as part of the presentation, which comes 70 years after the French fashion house presented its fall 1951 haute couture collection against the backdrop of the Acropolis during an iconic fashion shoot for Paris Match.

The central archaeological council also approved shoots at the Acropolis; the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a Roman theater; the ancient Agora of Athens, a former public gathering spot; the temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, and the temple of Zeus at Nemea.

The show comes as Greece marks 200 years of independence. The event will showcase the creativity of local artists and artisans, as Dior has done with other destination resort shows in Lecce, Italy, and Marrakech, Morocco.

According to rumours, one of the invitations sent directly from Dior’s offices in Paris was addressed to Hollywood star Charlize Theron, who is also one of the faces of the French perfume campaign. However, the organisers have not revealed anything regarding the presence of the Hollywood star in Athens.

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