Dior Parties in Calabasas For Cruise 2018 with Nary a Kardashian in Sight

When Camilla Belle saw Calabasas as the location of choice on her Dior Resort 2018 invite, she was “confused, to say the least.”

“Especially on a weekday with the 405 traffic,” she continued. “But then, of course, I was totally happy to come.”

The show, it turned out, was on the edge of the Los Angeles suburb, clear of any Kardashian or Jenner, on a wild, secluded reserve, the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve of the Santa Monica Mountains, to be exact.

About 800 guests, which included Rihanna, in a belted fur number and jeans, and Charlize Theron—who both dashed in and out of the show—as well as Demi Moore, Brie Larson with fiancé Alex Greenwald, Kate Bosworth with husband Michael Polish, Juno Temple, Miranda Kerr and Nick Jonas (who spent most of the evening in a closed off VIP section), were shuttled for 45 minutes or so from Beverly Hills and Santa Monica to find themselves on a long and narrow dirt road. They were then dropped off and invited to take golf carts heading to the show’s location, a picturesque hilltop arranged with open, airy white tents filled with fluffy, tan pillows and bottles of champagne. The only things in sight amid the fields were two hot air balloons in the distance with the words “Dior Sauvage” written across.

“Personally, I feel like I’m in the middle of nowhere,” said Kiernan Shipka of the scenic view at the after party, on-site immediately following the show. “Dior always knows how to throw a cool event, and this was no exception. The outfits were beautiful. I mean, I’m really loving the direction Maria [Grazia Chiuri] is going, and it perfectly melded the Dior aesthetic with where we are currently, physically.”

Unveiling a Western-themed collection, this season, Chiuri found inspiration from the prehistoric paintings of the Lascaux caves, which influenced Mr. Christian Dior himself back in the 50s.

“It was beautiful,” said Kelly Rowland, as she was making her exit. “It’s so dusty! I’m trying to make my way someplace inside.”

Jhené Aiko stood nearby with boyfriend Big Sean. “I literally loved everything,” said Aiko.

“I feel like it was her style,” jumped in Sean. “[Jhené] has been rocking for years that kind of style, so it was cool to see it in a Christian Dior way.”

“They did such a good job. I like the setup.”

“It feels like we’re in the desert”

“Like a festival.”

“Yeah, like a music festival, but more like…very vibe-y, hippy, bohemian.”

The tents encircled a stage, where a live band played tribal-like sounds, and Solange Knowles would later take the stage. Were they sticking around for the performance?

“I’m not sure, I’m cold!” said Aiko. The temperature had dropped suddenly as night fell.

Someone who was sure not to miss Solange, despite the chill, was Freida Pinto.

“I love her,” she exclaimed when she found out about the night’s performer. “I love the new album.”

Dior VIPs and fashion’s known faces of editors and influencers, many of whom had flown out for the occasion, mingled about, trying to keep warm, as they indulged in sliders and veggie tacos.

Haley Bennett, who was keeping warm by a fire pit, summed up the evening as “a pure sensory experience.”

“It went beyond just the visual experience,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I did not expect this. It’s magical. I’ve never been to a show quite like this.”

Related: Banks Prepares for a Magical Guggenheim Gala, with Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri as Her Fairy Godmother