Debuts This Weekend In Chinese Vogue; One-Minute Film To Follow In June Following its successful 2012 “Secret Garden” print and video campaign, Dior is rolling out a second installment, starting this weekend in the Chinese edition of Vogue. After its China debut, the print campaign will continue in Italian Elle and French Vogue. Like last year’s campaign, the 2013 edition is centered on a short film by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, starring model Daria Strokous. The first “Secret Garden” film, viewed some 24 million times to YouTube, featured Strokous running through the ornate salons of Versailles. This year the location is a misty forest near the Petit Trianon, a dreamlike setting inspired in part by Le déjeuner sur l'herbe, Édouard Manet’s 1863 painting of two men in suits picnicking on the grass with a nude woman. Along with Strokous, last year’s film featured Chinese model Ju Xiaowen (雎晓雯); at least one Chinese model appears in this year’s campaign as well. Dior's haute couture line and Dior Homme were both presented in China runway shows this spring as part of the company's China expansion plan. Dior has been pursuing a high-end approach in order to appeal to Chinese clients who are increasingly favoring sophisticated, low-key styles over logo-heavy designs. The campaign’s China launch follows the recent decision by Hugo Boss to globally debut its 2013 fall-winter collection with a fashion show in Shanghai later this month. These moves underscore a changing perception of China not only as a top consumer market but a significant influence on style and taste-making worldwide. (Photos by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin for the Dior campaign)
