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Dior begins Paris Fashion Week show with live archery on the runway

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Dior begins Paris Fashion Week show with live archery on the runway

Dior hit the mark with a runway shooting range, featuring a skilled display of archery, at Paris Fashion Week.

Italian artist and archer Sofia Ginevra Giannì, better known by her abbreviated moniker SAGG Napoli, wowed audiences in the City of Light on Tuesday by shooting arrows down the catwalk beneath a structure of her own creation, a transparent corridor, adorned with snippets of texts from various Italian artists, spanning the length of the runway.

SAGG Napoli shot multiple arrows down the catwalk towards the target at the end of the runway. AFP via Getty Images
Napoli continued to fire arrows as the models walked the runway. @dior/Instagram

“May the building of a strong mind and a strong body be the greatest work I have ever made,” one of the quotes on the installation reads.

Napoli — fashioned in a Dior ensemble comprised of a gladiator-style skirt, one-shoulder tank and leather knee-high boots — continued firing arrows towards the bullseye at the end of the runway throughout the models’ procession at the Musée Rodin.

Jennifer Garner, 52, who sat front row, was blown away by Napoli’s skill, according to footage circulating the internet, in which the actress could be seen eagerly recording the archer’s performance with shock and amazement. Meanwhile, singers Rosalía and Jisoo also looked on in awe.

The performance — which was lauded online as “the best concept ever” and likened it to “The Hunger Games” and the series’ main character, Katniss Everdeen — served as a fitting backdrop for creative director Maria Grazie Chirui’s sporty presentation.

“A modern Amazon, SAGG Napoli sees fashion as a visual attribute, an affirmation of her athletic shape,” Dior’s site continues, nodding to the reimagined design of the 1952 Dior Amazone dress revived in the spring/summer 2025 collection.

“She tackles one of the oldest disciplines – archery – which demands the harmonization of body and mind.”

Chiuri compared Napoli to a “modern Amazon.” @dior/Instagram
The skilled archer hit the mark each time. @dior/Instagram

Chirui told press at the show that she was inspired by Wonder Woman and Diana of Versailles, known as the Goddess of the Hunt, since “sport was an integral part of Christian Dior’s couture and fashion universe.”

“My obsession is making pieces which are easy to wear, using technology but also couture know-how,” Chiuri said, per Harper’s Bazaar, a contrast from the brand’s long history of crafting garments for “women who moved their bodies less.”

Dior’s website added: “This year, the body, fashion and sport are words that, thanks notably to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, have (re)given signification to gender equality, inclusivity, respect and acceptance of one’s own limits.”

“She tackles one of the oldest disciplines – archery – which demands the harmonization of body and mind,” Chiuri said of Napoli. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
For this collection, Chiuri emphasized the body’s “function,” creating garments that allowed a range of movement. AFP via Getty Images
In a release describing the show, the fashion house nodded to this year’s Olympics with the collection. AFP via Getty Images

The looks — which drew mixed reviews from celebration to criticism — included garments such as tracksuits, leotards, moto jackets and lace-up sneaker-boot hybrids, as well as patterns like checkered racing stripes. Chiuri also resurrected the Dior Sport logo from the ’60s, which, per The Guardian, was last seen on Jackie Kennedy Onassis’ ski attire.

“The rise of sport has changed the whole body language of women, and therefore of fashion,” Chiuri said, per The Guardian.

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