Metamorphosis of Lady Dior
A celebration of infinite creative imagination, Lady Dior Art #5 brings art couture to the fore with one-of-a-kind designs that will warrant the attention of both bag and art lovers alike
An iconic bag named in honour of Princess Diana, and an emblematic symbol of the House of Dior, the Lady Dior never ceases to amaze with its ability to be reinvented and transformed into a unique work of art, through the various artist collaborations that have taken place under the Lady Dior Art project which began in 2016. Now into its fifth edition, the collection will be unveiled from January 8, 2021 and sold exclusively at Dior Pavilion boutique as well as selected Dior boutiques globally. Here are five essential things to know about Lady Dior Art #5, and what each bag represents:
1 POWER OF TEN
An initiative by Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, ten artists and collectives hailing from different parts of the world were invited to create their own interpretation of the Lady Dior, taking the bag to new heights by infusing its architecture and charms with their imagination and inspirations. They include Paris-based Joël Andrianomearisoa from Madagascar; Song Dong from Beijing, China; Recycle Group from Russia; Chris Soal from Johannesburg, South Africa; Judy Chicago from Belen, New Mexico; Gisela Colón from Los Angeles; London-based Bharti Kher from India; Mai-thu Perret from Geneva, Switzerland; Claire Tabouret from France; and Olga Titus from Winterthur, Switzerland.
2 SOCIETAL REFLECTIONS
The project moves beyond the realm of fashion as artists made their work to reflect and foster discussion on current societal issues. For instance, Judy Chicago, who’s known for her feminist artworks,
challenges patriarchy and promotes women empowerment through the iridescent motifs of spirals and shells. Chinese artist Song Dong, on the other hand, used a collage of rectangular frames and mirrors as a metaphor for freedom and openness, ideals he yearned for while growing up in Beijing during the 1980s economic reforms. For Recycle Group, a collective formed by Russians Andrey Blokhin and Georgy Kuznetsov and the offspring of artist-parents, their take on Lady Dior Art symbolises a shifting vision of the world, shaped by contemporary digital frenzy. For Franco-vietnamese artist Mai-thu Perret, her alphabet design that’s composed of abstract signs was inspired by an educational method applied in 19th-century German kindergartens—symbolising her unique take on civilisation and the notion of community.
3 UPCYCLING LUXURY
Known for creating extraordinary works of art using ordinary everyday objects, Chris Soal used a similar concept for his Lady Dior bag creations. Delving into the topic of consumerism and at the same time aiming to prolong the value of these things, he had toothpicks arranged in such a way to create the texture of fur while bottle caps are folded into the shape of cowrie shells as embellishment. Instead of the signature “O”, Soal turned a bottle opener into a charm, giving it a cheeky functionality.
On a personal note, the bag holds a special significance to Soal, as he remembers his mother sporting her own Lady Dior bag and that he was born in the same year it was launched—in 1994.
Soal says he’s inspired and fascinated by learning how the
iconic cannage motif came to be used on the surface of the Lady Dior bag. “I think the same conceptual attentiveness that led Christian Dior to notice the rattan cannage design on the salon chairs and then incorporate this into his work is similar to my processes of observation and application in my work,” he explains. “This environmental attentiveness and consideration of even the smallest detail and its potential significance resonates strongly with me, and I can see that the spirit of work through which Christian Dior embodied himself is still present in the house today.”
4 IDENTITY AND CULTURE
Joël Andrianomearisoa employs a wide variety of materials to explore the complexity of human emotions and how it influences our behaviour and reactions. Aptly naming his creations ‘The Labyrinth of Lady Dior’, Andrianomearisoa utilised calfskin or radzimir silk to weave delicate millefeuille-like textures on the bag’s surface.
Claire Tabouret examines the enigmatic appeal of identity through her figurative paintings, drawings and sculptures. For Lady Dior Art, the French artist paints a self-portrait in the guise of a vampire with a blood-stained mouth, further accentuating the bag with a lace white collar—a subtle evocation of Dracula’s dreamlike costume. In contrast, the other bag depicts a bucolic picture of dancers in a version of faux fur. Her artworks provide a glimpse into the vulnerability of human relationships, as a group and as individuals.
Drawing inspiration from her Indian and Malaysian heritage, Swiss artist Olga Titus is fascinated by the idea of transculturalism.
For Lady Dior Art, she brings us into a kaleidoscopic world which gives rise to two distinct universes through a hypnotic display of beads, while on a third bag, decorative masks is her way of paying homage to the arts of the world.
5 DIVINITY OF THE COSMOS
Best known for her minimalist and futuristic monoliths and biomorphic cells, contemporary artist Gisela Colón shares Christian Dior’s passion for divinatory arts and constellations. Aptly named ‘Stardust’ and ‘Amazonia’, her enchanting collaboration with Lady Dior Art symbolise interstellar magic and the mysteries of the universe. As a signature touch, the Dior charm takes on the shape of a monolith, an emblem which represents equality, power and beauty.
One of India’s most prominent artists, London-based Bharti Kher used the bindi as a starting point for her Lady Dior Art project. The bindi, which is traditionally worn on the centre of the forehead, is a manifestation of the third eye and is also described as “the sacred symbol of the cosmos in its unmanifested state”. The snake forms on the bag are signature motifs from her practice and holds a significant meaning to Kher, who describes snakes as “the symbol of the beginning and the life force, as well as transformation and healing.”