‘W
hy Have There Not Been Great Women Artists?’, asked historian Linda Nochlin in her 1971 essay, which also set the tone for Dior’s latest Spring/Summer collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri. The French maison’s latest offerings by its artistic director are direct responses to that essay, thrusting one of the art world’s most effervescent female artists into the spotlight.
A feminist who saw the world in Technicolor, the late FrenchAmerican artist Niki de Saint Phalle inspired Chiuri with her whimsical je ne sais quoi spirit. After all, Saint Phalle was once an ami proche to former Dior designer Marc Bohan, and it was their photographs together that first piqued the interest of Chiuri.
Captivated by the beauty of flowers and fairy tales, Saint Phalle’s approach to feminism was unlike any other. Take for example her iconic Nanas sculptures that depicted female figures and animals in psychedelic florals or Crayola brights. Indeed, Chiuri imbued Dior’s latest collection with these elements—most of all, in its accessories.
“As in all fairy tales, before finding the treasure, on my way I met dragons, witches, magicians, and the angel of temperance,” the artist once said. And so, on Dior’s own little treasures, witches, magicians, and bestial creatures are encountered along the Spring/Summer ’18 journey.
Laser-cut tote bags reveal a mischievous lizard from Saint Phalle’s own dreams, while its colourful guitar-like strap is reminiscent of Nanas sculptures. Medieval-like studs also adorn rainbow-hued straps, as do bejewelled chains that encapsulate the artist’s colourful world. Throughout, playful hues like bubblegum pinks, metallic blues, and sunshine yellows put a cheerful spin on the collection.
A fairy tale for the 21st century.
J