London - In their own way, they are both among the grandest of houses. And fittingly, the haute couture of Christian Dior has been displayed at Blenheim Palace several times.
The Parisian fashion house held its first ground-breaking show at the 18th century stately home in 1954, with Princess Margaret among the guests at a fund-raising event for the Red Cross.
On Tuesday, 62 years on, Dior staged its latest show, this time for an audience packed with musicians and film stars.
Bianca Jagger, Kate Mara and Kate Beckinsale were among celebrity guests to see American model Bella Hadid in her first outing as the new face of Dior make-up.
Hadid, 19, sported gothic-style eye shadow as she modelled the Dior Cruise 2017 collection, which included a dark flower-detailed pencil skirt and black caped blouse.
The 1954 show took place in front of Princess Margaret – a devotee of Christian Dior – and 600 guests. They paid five guineas each to see Dior’s winter collection paraded at the palace. Red Cross nurses were also invited to the event.
Another show took place at Blenheim – birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill – in 1958, a year after Dior’s death. Diplomats were invited from across the world to view a parade of French models.
While some of the fashions she wore on Tuesday had a timeless appeal, Hadid had a very modern way of expressing her delight at her new role. She wrote on a social networking site: “So beyond excited to announce that I am the new ambassador and face for Dior make-up! What a dream come true.”
Tom Witherow, Daily Mail