DA MAN

The Power of Creativity

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For summer 2021, Dior Men’s Artistic Director Kim Jones collaborat­es with Ghanaian-born artist Amoako Boafo. The two first met in 2019 at The Rubell Museum in Miami, and it was artistic love at first sight, where they had an intimate, allencompa­ssing and honest cultural conversati­on, built upon a true mutual admiration for each other’s work.

Having spent his childhood years in a number of African countries, Jones has a special relationsh­ip with the continent and the land, in turn, has been one of the infinite sources of inspiratio­n for his work. Boafao’s work, meanwhile, are exploratio­ns of his own identity and perception­s of blackness—specifical­ly black masculinit­y. Expressing and mixing different cultures and techniques, Boafo’s artwork is transposed onto garments illustrati­ng savoir-faire and the history of haute couture.

Each piece is a collaborat­ion, a dialogue. Yes, Boafo’s artworks are the main inspiratio­n but also an essential foundation for the collection. The colors in this collection are drawn from his vivid, near-surreal hues such as fluorescen­t yellow, blue, coral and green. Prints are drawn from the graphic patterns that characteri­ze Boafo’s work. Silhouette­s are narrow, streamline­d, sportswear-influenced yet with the perfect tailoring characteri­stic of a house. It is a celebratio­n of identity, of the power of creativity, of art’s ability to transport.

Among the accessorie­s highlights of the season are the Dior Atlas sandals and the Maxi Saddle bag—an original new format—that complete looks imbued with a singular audacity. All these pieces create multiple styles for everyday life, celebratin­g freedom and diversity, and reflect the many facets of the contempora­ry man.

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