Travis Scott and Dior won't be in business together after all, or at least not in the near future, as Dior announced the line it was developing with Scott's Cactus Jack brand would be "postpone(d) indefinitely" in the wake of the Astroworld tragedy.
In a statement issued to WWD, the luxury fashion brand said: "Out of respect for everyone affected by the tragic events at Astroworld, Dior has decided to postpone indefinitely the launch of products from the Cactus Jack collaboration originally intended to be included in its summer 2022 collection."
WWD also reported that Scott's team told the publication that it was a mutual decision between him and Dior to call a time-out. It was initially reported by WWD that the line had been "canceled," but the story was quickly updated to reflect the "indefinite postponement" terminology.
Set to receive a high-profile launch in January, the collaboration would have marked Dior's first collaboration with a musician. Dior's creative director Kim Jones had worked with Scott on the men's spring/summer 2022 collection, which was to have been called Cactus Jack Dior, a la Scott's music label, Cactus Jack Records.
Although the announcement came with just weeks to spare before the set date for the launch, calling it off seemed like a fait accompli from the moment the Astroworld Festival ended in disaster in November, ultimately leaving 10 dead -- all from what was subsequently determined to be compression asphyxia -- and hundreds more injured.
Other companies have pushed back on or pulled out of their deals with the hip-hop star since the tragedy. Nike, which was set to launch Air Max 1 sneakers in collaboration with Scott in December, put an indefinite hold on that deal. Anheuser-Busch announced its line of Scott's Cacti hard seltzers was being discontinued after less than a year. Some of Scott's many other commercial deals, like a McDonalds promotion, had already expired before the festival.
Scott has been removed as one of the headliners of the Coachella Festival coming up in April, although there has been no official confirmation of his exit from promoters, and the performer was reported to have lobbied to have kept his position on the bill.
Investigations are continuing into the Astroworld tragedy, with Congress even jumping into the fray this month.
On Dec. 22, members of a congressional committee sent promoter Live Nation an open letter demanding written answers to a series of questions as well as a hearing by mid-January. The letter, signed by Carolyn B. Maloney, chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform and four other members of Congress, was addressed to Michael Rapino, Live Nation's president-CEO, but did not mention Scott by name.
"Recent reports raise serious concerns about whether your company took adequate steps to ensure the safety of the 50,000 concertgoers who attended Astroworld Festival," the letter said. "We are also concerned by reports about Live Nation's conduct following Astroworld Festival."
Live Nation issued a statement in response: "We are assisting local authorities in their investigation and will of course share information with the Committee as well. Safety is core to live events and Live Nation engages in detailed security planning in coordination with local stakeholders including law enforcement, fire and EMT professionals. We are heartbroken by the events at Astroworld and our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends of the victims."
