Looking Fly in Miami: Bruce Weber and Kris Van Assche for Dior Homme
This week, Kris Van Assche is taking his first trip to Miami, and it’s an important one: Dior Homme is opening a boutique in Miami’s Design District. “I have been told that it is a great mix of people, cultures, sunshine and optimism,” Van Assche tells us. “The Design District is filled with galleries and design stores, so there is already a large overlap with Dior Homme’s customer and aesthetic.”
As with Dior Homme’s SoHo store, which opened last spring, the Miami boutique will feature custom artwork in the form of a short film by Bruce Weber. Van Assche explains that he was determined to work with the beloved fashion photographer; “Bruce is a terrific talent. He is one of the most iconic fashion photographers of all time. His stark, black and white, formed photography fits well into my vision for Dior Homme.” Bruce’s hometown, Miami, only solidified Van Assche’s determination: “He is a part of this community… I wanted to connect with Miami in a way that spoke both to the brand and to the community. It made total sense to offer him a ‘carte blanche.’ “
The film, titled Can I Make the Music Fly?, premieres tonight at the Dior Homme boutique and features the Ukranian ballet dance Sergei Polunin, a 10-year-old violin prodigy named Claudius Agrippa, and the 26-year-old classical violinist Charlie Siem. “I had met [Charlie] having photographed him for Vogue a couple of years ago and he eventually became a friend,” says Weber. “Charlie was chosen for his talent, first and foremost, but also for his elegance and classic, yet effortless, style.” As for Claudius, Weber discovered the young musician through the violonist and conductor Itzhak Perlman, who runs a summer music camp in Weber’s adopted hometown of Sag Harbor. “He’s a lovely and extremely talented young man who considers Charlie Siem his idol and mentor.” Claudius “brings something special to the film with his innocence of a child, yet his power and gravitas as a performer and musician,” Weber assures us.
