French designer and luxury brand Dior has collaborated with Italian scooter brand Vespa to create the limited edition Vespa 946 Christian Dior. It’s the contemporary version of the Vespa 946, which was first presented in 2012 in Milan.
Dior's Creative Director of women's collections Maria Grazia Chiuri traces the Vespa's Roman roots that rode into the hearts of many and became a pop culture icon made famous by the 1953 Hollywood film Roman Holiday with a famous shot of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck riding through the streets of Rome.
The scooter is made in Italy, adhering to the exacting standards, commitment and precision befitting a couture atelier. The limited edition Vespa has all the elements and trims of a Dior creation. Starting with the Dior oblique pattern motif that adorns the saddle and comes with matching luggage and helmet and a specially designed luggage rack.
Designed by Marc Bohan, Dior's creative director from 1961 to 1989 back in 1967, the distinctive pattern bearing the Dior name has since been part of the brand's identifying mark for over 50 years.
Something in common
So, what do these two brands have in common? For one, both were founded in the same year:1946. The stylish Italian brand and the Parisian couture house are linked by an unwavering desire to inspire a new, bright and creative vision of the world. Seven decades later, its monohull architecture and subtle graphic lines served as a strong foundation for the Dior and Vespa collaboration that reinvents this spirit of freedom, movement and expression that drives them.
Although there are no pricing indications yet, it can be remembered that Vespa Philippines sold six Vespa 946 RED Edition units for a princely sum of P777,000 in 2018 and further back a couple of years, six limited edition Vespa 946 Emporio Armani bikes were sold for the same price. So chances are, the price of the Dior scooter collab would be within this ballpark.
The Armani edition was created to celebrate the designer's 40th anniversary that coincided with Vespa maker Piaggio Group's 140th birthday, while the Red Edition was created as a fundraising project to fight diseases like TB, AIDS and malaria.
According to Piaggio, these bikes will be released in 2021 in Dior boutiques worldwide and with select Piaggio Motoplex showrooms, but the accessories, including the helmet and top case, will only be available exclusively in Dior boutiques.
