Community groups across Perth and Kinross have benefited from the recent star-studded Dior fashion show in Crieff, with the fashion house donating around £150,000 worth of plants to the local area.
The French design firm has been praised for “leaving a legacy in the region” after donating 7,500 plants that were used in the setting for the Dior Cruise Line fashion show, held in the gardens of Drummond Castle on June 3.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the castle, featured in the hit TV series Outlander, hundreds of fashion heavyweights and A-list celebrities were in attendance, including Rosamund Pike, Jennifer Lawrence, Lily Collins and Anya Taylor-Joy.
The Cruise 2025 show, featuring designs by Maria Grazia Chiuri, marks the global fashion house’s return to Scotland for the first time in 70 years, having previously chosen Gleneagles in Perthshire as the venue for its previous show in 1955.
After the show, Perth and Kinross Council officials, who had been in liaison with Dior and staging company Semple Begg on the event, offered to take the unwanted plants and distribute them to the local In Bloom community group.
(Image: Perth and Kinross Council)
The donation comprises shrubs shipped from Italy and a selection of herbaceous plants collected from award-winning nurseries in the UK.
The plants will be collected by council vehicles and taken to Westbank Nurseries in Perth, then donated to local in-bloom groups and charities to be planted in the community. In addition to community groups, local organisations will also benefit, including Rachel House in Kinross, a local women’s refuge in Perth, Murray Royal Walled Gardens and several local cemeteries.
(Image: Tony Nicoletti/Daily Record)
The donations include perennials that will flower annually for years to come.
Councillor Eric Drysdale, member for economy and infrastructure, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to host this prestigious event in Perth and Kinross, helping to put the world in the spotlight on our region.”
“What’s even better is that this event has left a lasting legacy in the local area, with valuable plants being donated and planted around our community.
(Image: Perth and Kinross Council)
“I know that local In Bloom groups and other community organisations will be delighted to receive these quality plants and I would like to sincerely thank Dior and Semple Begg for making this happen.”
“I’d also like to thank council staff who identified the opportunity to acquire these plants for the local community and executed the plan to get them to the West Bank for distribution. It was a tough job but they delivered brilliantly.”
“Thanks to this generous donation and the hard work of our staff and community volunteers, our community will continue to thrive for years to come.”
