See the Paris Fashion Week show that everyone is talking about

Christian Dior kicked off the annual event with a show-stopping theatrical number featuring dancers and models.

Attend a fashion show, and you're likely to see the same thing over and over: models strutting down a runway showing off the latest collection of clothes. So when Christian Dior was given the opening slot at Paris Fashion Week, the famous design house opted for something a little more creative.

For starters, they chose to hold the event in a cavernous chamber at the Hippodrome de Longchamp, the famed racetrack on the outskirts of Paris. Next, the luxury European brand tapped the world of dance, hiring Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal to create a dance to accompany the presentation. The result was eight contemporary dancers interacting with the models as they came down the runway showing off the 87 pieces of Dior's Spring-Summer 2019 Ready-to-Wear collection. Clouds of falling white petals added to the ethereal quality of the show.

The troupe consisted of eight dancers led by Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal. (Photo: Francois Guillot / AFP/Getty Images)

In its review of the show, The New York Times praised Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s women’s wear artistic director. "Ms. Chiuri set her collection amid a powerful display of calibrated movement that gave proof to her theory that, as she said backstage before the show, dance is 'a language without words that speaks of freedom,' one that is connected to the past and classical rules, but also tries to rewrite them for the modern world," the newspaper wrote.

Robin Givhan, the fashion editor for the Washington Post, was equally impressed: "Each body throbbed to the rhythmic music, their intake and exhalation of breath transformed into full-body poetry. They strutted on their toes like some exotic runway bird – backs arched, tushes tucked under, arms beating the air like powerful wings."

Choreographer Sharon Eyal suggested the collection is an ode to strength and movement. (Photo: Francois Guillot / AFP/Getty Images)

Quotes from the dancers were plastered on the walls and welcomed guests to the venue. In big cursive font, Eyal wrote: "The most important thing is to enjoy dancing. And research inside your body, feel free – we are perfect as we are.” Inside, a 1,700-square-foot platform served as both runway and stage.

Added "Big Little Lies" actress Shailene Woodley, who was in the audience: "You marry dance with fashion and movement and you have a visceral, overwhelming experience," she told the Associated Press.

You can watch the entire performance here:

The Jerusalem-born Eyal has danced with the globally acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company in Israel, and later served as its Artistic Director and House Choreographer. In 2013, she launched L-E-V, an Israel-based dance troupe that has performed in New York, London, Amsterdam and in the south of France. She's also been commissioned to create dances for other companies in Sweden and The Netherlands.

In recent years, Israelis have been making their name on the international fashion scene. The Mediterranean country is home to numerous fashion bloggers and designers and has become the epicenter of the fusion of fashion and technology.

"Technology is growing because we want to find solutions for things in our life," fashion designer Danit Peleg told From the Grapevine. "And you can see it so much in Israel or in Tel Aviv, which is where I live. Everyone is working for startups and everyone is trying to solve problems and everyone is doing something to create a better life for us."

White confetti feel from the ceiling during the performance. (Photo: Francois Guillot / AFP/Getty Images)

Christian Dior kicked off the annual event with a show-stopping theatrical number featuring dancers and models.

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