The newest edition of the Dior Lady Art project introduces bold new interpretations from eleven international artists.
The iconic Dior Lady bag is instantly recognisable – the architectural not-quite-square, not-quite-rectangular shape; the emblematic Cannage top-stitching; and the unmistakable D-I-O-R charms on the indomitable top handle. It’s certainly a bag to be reckoned with.
Before none other than Princess Diana adopted it as her personal favourite bag, the Dior Lady was known quaintly as the Chouchou – but the rest is history. The famous quilted bag has now been synonymous with the People’s Princess, and along with it, her impeccable style.
Serving as the perfect canvas for arty innovation, the Dior Lady has continued to pique our interest with artist-led collaborations, running the gamut from traditional handcrafting methods to machine-printed 3D designs.
Now in the seventh edition of the Dior Lady Art project, eleven artists – from Egypt to the United States – have been invited to lend their creative visions to the embellishment and reinvention of this classic bag.
Ghada Amer of Egypt adorns her designs with a patchwork of embroidery, precious stones and sequins, or a hand-woven tapestry, each time allowing the words “strong”, “loving”, “resilient” or “determined” to be perceived
American artist Brian Calvin reproduces his abstract close-ups of women with a canvas of threads, beads and sequins, delicately hand-embroidered on a raffia base
House of Dior Cannage becomes the backdrop for an exhibition of photos gathered from the Internet, in Canada-born artist Sara Cwynar’s designs, which employ red leather and yellow PVC
Alex Gardner transposes one of his iconic pieces, transforming it into an entrancing painting with multiple effects, with delicate figurative stitching on holographic leather
Shara Hughes translates her vibrant invented landscapes using red velvet and embroidery with a thousand coloured muslin flowers, with hand-cut “windows”, offering a glimpse of a dreamlike garden
American artist Dorothy Iannone presents her personal vision of the Statue of Liberty as a trio of little figurines, each dressed differently using multiple techniques and embellished with sequins, beads and embroidery
Korean artist Minjung Kim reinterprets the Lady Dior through four dreamlike journeys – with flowers in organza tulle, in mink, as an embroidered micro-bag, and finally inspired by the ancestral art of Hanji paper
Zhenya Machneva’s three hand-woven variations are sculptural reinterpretations of her colourful tapestries, using such materials as resin needles and embroidery
Qatari multidisciplinary artist Bouthayna al Muftah showcases the art of typography to represent a poetic landscape, formed using delicate shapes of chiffon and hand-embroidered fabrics
Françoise Pétrovitch explores the recurring motif of a bird reinterpreted in an array of materials, including matte white leather, mirror-sheen fabric as well as tie-dye
Multidisciplinary Chinese artist Wang Yuyang conveys the textures and sensations of the surface of the moon using traditional embroidery methods combined with new creative techniques
Images courtesy of Dior, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
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