A WOMAN’S WORK
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE LAUNCHING THE ANNUAL DIOR LADY ART PROJECT IN 2016, THE FRENCH MAISON GETS AN ALL-FEMALE CAST OF ARTISTS TO REINTERPRET ITS SIGNATURE TOTE, THE LADY DIOR. IMRAN JALAL SINGLES OUT THE MOST ARTISANAL PIECES AND THE COOL WOMEN BEHIND
The most artisanal pieces – and the allfemale cast – of the latest Dior Lady Art project.
OLGA DE AMARAL
Who: An important figure in the post-war Latin American Abstraction movement, this Colombian artist is feted for her imaginative installations and tactile tapestries. Inspired by ancient preColombian textiles and gilded Catholic relics, her large–scale works – mostly made with fibreglass Her take on the Lady – come to life with paint and indigenous fibres swathed in luminous gold leaf. Dior:
All four styles reflect her ornate aesthetic. Two – in M – are bedecked in hand-folded strips of cotton pieces doused in 24K yellow gold. The other two – mini bags in gold or silver goatskin – are decorated in exquisite embroidery featuring metallised beads and hand-hammered metal charms.
Who:
A Turkish-born ceramics guru whose works have been displayed at the world’s top galleries, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her preoccupation with examining the concepts of belonging, cultural heritage, failure and ornamentation sees her making over gnarled, contorted Her take on the Lady Dior: earthenware with delicate floral paintings. A dark brown patent leather version – available in both regular and mini sizes – gets a surreal jolt of colour with fluorescent floral embroidery boasting a tufted effect. Meanwhile, another Mini Lady Dior is a whimsical mix of modern and classic with white faux fur, blue and metallic embroidery (blooms, of course) and see-through handles.
MORGANE TSCHIEMBER
Who: A Parisian who explores the relationship between “materials, physics and metaphysics” by working with sculptures to create experimental and performative art. One of her most acclaimed pieces is 2013’s Shibari series in which she suspended ceramics in the air using ancient Japanese rope-bondage techniques.
Her take on the Lady Dior: What else but to bind rope all over two lambskin totes with the brand’s iconic – and tactile – Cannage print so tightly, they take on a sensual, almost womanly shape? The cord knotted around the blush-coloured M-sized number is made of linen, while the one around the black mini version is made of rose gold metal.
POLLY APFELBAUM
Who: A modern-day female – and more playful – alternative to Jackson Pollock, if you will. The Moma- and Whitney-endorsed name is celebrated for her colourful drawings and sculptures that include her infamous “fallen paintings” – installations made with strips of fabrics hand-dyed in eye-popping hues, then strewn on the floor. Her take on the Lady Dior:
Her two kaleidoscopic interpretations – one M and one mini – might look similar, but the former is in fact a marquetry of hand-painted lambskin patches, while the latter is all hand-embroidered cotton and silk.