French luxury brand Dior has revealed March 23 as the date for its men’s pre-fall runway show in Hong Kong, coinciding with major events set to take place across the Greater China region during the month.
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“After Tokyo, Miami, London, Los Angeles and Cairo, this destination once again celebrates the artistic director’s passion for travel and world cultures – so dear to Monsieur Dior,” said Paris-based house, which is still yet to reveal the show location.
The Dior men’s show will take place alongside the first edition of ComplexCon Hong Kong, scheduled from March 22 to 24, marking the first foreign edition of the U.S. festival to be held beyond North America.
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, making March a poignant month to host a fashion show in the region.
The Dior show, led by creative director Kim Jones, follows in the footsteps of fellow Parisian house Louis Vuitton, which showcased its men’s fall offering in the Asian hub on November 30 last year.
Both the Dior and Louis Vuitton shows in Hong Kong reflect parent company LVMH’s enhanced focus on the luxury and finance hub, which is looking to restore its image as a shopping destination for wealthy tourists, particularly from mainland China, post-Covid.
According to the Hong Kong Immigration Department, during the half-year between February 6 and the end of July 2023, approximately 12.7 million mainland visitors travelled to Hong Kong through air, land and sea ports. This compares with 51.04 million arrivals in 2018 and 43.77 million in 2019, according to Hong Kong Tourism Board data.
On October 10, parent company LVMH released a trading update for the third-quarter, reporting organic sales inched forward just 1 percent for the three months ending September 30, to EUR 19.96 billion (USD 21.17 billion).
While organic revenues in Asia excluding Japan were up 11 percent in the third quarter, figures reflected a slowdown from the 34 percent jump in the prior three months, reflecting a more challenging comparison basis and a recovery in Chinese tourism outside of Asia.
The Dior men’s pre-fall 2024 collection is due to arrive in stores from May. Dior boasts 11 boutiques in Hong Kong, six of which carry menswear.