When Dior turned a Roman Villa into a Runway w/Black Queens owning the Center stage
Dior Cruise 2026 show held at the Villa Albani Torlonia on May 27, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Giovanni Giannoni/WWD via Getty Images)
The Dior Cruise 2026 runway at Rome’s Villa was a cinematic ode to heritage, imagination, and the power of diverse beauty.
Under the creative direction of Maria Grazia Chiuri, the evening unfolded as a theatrical spectacle, with Black models taking center stage as regal embodiments of Chiuri’s vision for the maison’s swan song in her native city.
A model at the Dior Cruise 2026 show held at the Villa Albani Torlonia
The prominence of Black models at such a high-profile event in Rome, historically a bastion of Eurocentric beauty, signaled a shift toward greater inclusivity and representation at the highest levels of the industry. These Queens did not merely walk the runway; they redefined it, embodying the legacy and future of Dior.
