LET THEM RAVE

Warning: Dior Homme Brings Back the Gabber Dance For Latest Campaign

Lucas Hedges and Dave Gahan are the latest faces of Dior Homme, but the real stars are the gabber dancing models.


There’s a couple of big take aways to glean from Dior Homme‘s latest ad campaign. For one, it stars Manchester by the Sea‘s breakout star Lucas Hedges and ’80s synth-rock god Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode fame. For another, the campaign coincides with creative director Kris Van Assche’s 10th anniversary at the house and marks a departure in the traditional type of advertising aesthetic he’s used through out much of his run. He’s preferred minimalism and, often, black and white images in his marketing. This, however, is brightly colored with a bit more going on.

Perhaps the most notable development, however, is that the video portion of the campaign brings back a dance move we thought we’d never see outside of some weird warehouse rave in suburban South Florida again: gabber dancing.

Yes, the campaign has dug up the particular set of dance moves from the hardcore rave movement of the ’90s and is making it fashionable once again. Gahan and Hedges, however, don’t partake. The choreography portion is left to male models Dylan Roques and Christophe T Kint.

In case you need a better look at what gabber is, well, here’s this:

The development should, actually, not come as much of a surprise. The campaign features clothing from Dior Homme’s Fall 2017 collection, which was titled “HarDior,” a nod to the hardcore techno scene of yore. Select pieces in the collection feature images by Chicago-born artist Dan Witz’s Mosh Pits series, some of which depict people at raves. One t-shirt features the slogan “they should just let us rave.”

Dior Goes Hard-Core, or “HarDior,” for Fall 2017

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.

Scene from Dior Homme Fall 2017 backstage.

Photo by Rémi Procureur.
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The choice of Gahan for the campaign shouldn’t be a surprise either. Depeche Mode was part of the soundtrack for the show, and the band’s brand of synth-pop had a massive influence on ’90s techno without technically being a part of the movement itself. Hedges’ connection to the rave scene is less apparent, but he’s young. He has plenty of time to try out weird dance moves. Besides, the brand says the campaign is about more than just raving anyway.

“Spanning generations and disciplines, they plot an evolution of style that subverts the classicism of Dior Homme today,” the brand said of the campaign images in a statement, according to . .

British photographer David Sims is responsible for both the stills and images.

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“Manchester by the Sea” Actor Lucas Hedges Really Relates to Linguini, the Chef from “Ratatouille”: