Celebrity Life

Rodin Museum, Paris - Maria Grazia Chiuri unveils the new Dior Couture AW21 collection, which magnifies the fabric and art of weaving in a hand-embroidered decor designed by artist Eva Jospin. Meeting with the designer in her studio and immersion in the heart of the show with Jessica Chastain, Monica Belluci and Cara Delevingne.

"This collection for me was very important, to realise a collection that speaks about the embroidery, about the textiles, because textiles are a part of the process of a couture collection," said Chiuri. "So I started the collection with the idea of the thread, and I manipulated the thread in a different way."

Dior returns with a fashion show and an audience of guests (including Jessica Chastain, Monica Belluci, Cara Delevingne and Jennifer Lawrence). For this return to life, Dior immerses us in a grandiose and intimate setting by artist Eva Jospin, a 95m long tapestry, with more than 400 shades and 150 variations of embroidery stitches, designed by artist Eva Jospin and embroidered in India by the Chanaka ateliers.

The starting point of Maria Grazia Chiuri's collection is the 'Threads of Life' work by Clare Hunter (textile artist). The result is a work on materials, on a succession of pieces in tweed, flecked fabrics, mixed with net, lace and embroidery but also long floaty dresses in silk muslin, pleated, draped, weaved…

Guests React to Dior Couture AW21

"I am so happy to be in Paris. It was like a dream arriving yesterday and, for a year and a half, it feels like a very long year, it was very difficult to not travel and see my friends. So today is quite emotional. I just think about the craftsmanship, the amount of time, the amount of hours, the amount of stitches, the hand stitches, it's really, for actors, it's the big, big award to receive. A couture show is the big, big moment in fashion," said Jessica Chastain.

"I had imagined a silk room, but I had not imagined something as vast as this because here, we're not in a room anymore. I don't know how to say it, but we're in the great gallery of a palace, so we are really in an absolutely spectacular dimension. It's rare when you're an artist and you have a crazy dream of being able to realise it in real life in this kind of size, even though I tend to try to think big. But I have to say, this is beyond what I imagined," commented artist Eva Jospin.

"Live is so fast paced, everyone needed this realisation of so many things that were going on in the world, and it obviously took a really bad thing to happen, but I think it's just been great for everyone to be here," commented Cara Delevingne. "We're back baby!!!"

Music issued from the fashion shows (only to be used in the context of the fashion shows, covered under the right to information)

All image and video courtesy of AFP. This article was published via AFP Relaxnews/Paris Modes Insider

The post Dior Unties the Threads of Couture in Front of Captivated Guests appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

To all Dior lovers out there, we can still get our haute couture on while practicing social distancing. Watch as we livestream the Dior Haute Couture SS21 show right here on Prestige Online.

The post Livestream: Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2021 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Christian Dior has taken over the famed Long Museum on the West Bund in Shanghai from July 28^th to October 4^th 2020.

The exhibition curated by Oriole Cullen shows off the heritage and craftsmanship of the French house with over 250 haute couture gowns on display alongside artwork by René Gruau and Christian Bérard. There will be works by prestigious Chinese artists in a nod to the local scene in what the brand has called a "celebration of the steadfast bonds that have united Dior and China since 1947".

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Hot of the heels of Paris Men's Fashion Week, now we're jumping straight into Haute Couture week with Dior's upcoming Spring/Summer 2020 show. Designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the collection will consist of a selection of luxury gowns and garments constructed by hand from start to finish. Catch the show live from the runway of Paris here at PrestigeOnline.com.

Start time: 9:30 p.m HKT

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Artistic Director of Dior women's collection, Maria Grazia Chiuri, will present her designs for the Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020 collection on Monday, 20 January 2020, in Paris. Watch the show live tomorrow with us at 8.30 PM in Jakarta time to see Chiuri's inspiration this year.

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Fashion threads carefully in the age of cultural appropriation. In the case of Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri found herself being creatively pulled towards African cultures. The Dior Cruise 2020 collection was a product of that, and the verdict was clear at the runway show earlier this year: Chiuri checked the boxes of an homage collection done with full respect and adoration for community.

The designs were heavily inspired by Morocco, a dream destination that’s been the muse for artists, poets, and anyone these days with a travel bucket list. Having Dior’s runway show here was a wink in memory of the of the House and Christian Dior’s first successor, Yves Saint Laurent, a native of Oran who was fascinated by Morocco.

Show said, seen and done, there’s more to unveil behind layers of silk and tarot motifs. The original source of the collection traces back to its use of wax print fabric. Chiuri worked with the Uniwax factory and studio in Ivory Coast, one of the last remaining factories producing wax fabrics through mechanised artisanal techniques. The essence of this art protects African creative and cultural heritage. 

There’s an incredible back story to wax fabrics. A highly complex print, the fabric is a result of some twenty steps. The women of Togo in West Africa were the pioneers of commercialising the fabric, giving names to different motifs that led to creating a language that spread with the wide distribution of these fabrics. Hence, wax fabric is today a melting pot of the diverse African culture. 

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Working with Uniwax allowed Chiuri to create a fabric completely unique to the House by integrating Dior codes into the wax. Turning to the archives, we see Chiuri pull from looks like Marc Bohan’s Jungle silhouette, or a printed scarf with an African lion. 

Chiuri turned to the expertise of African fashion designer Pathé Ouédraogo – aka Pathé’O. His work of emblematic shirts in bright colours and bold prints have become so symbolic of African identity, which birthed a kinship between Pathé’O’s brand the late president Nelson Mandela. It’s a lovely tribute that Pathé’O paid tribute to Mandela with an exclusive shirt design for Dior’s Cruise 2020 colection. 

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Chiuri also collaborated with designer Grace Wales Bonner and artist Mickalene Thomas, talented individuals with the common ground of having their work rooted in African identity and culture.

When it came to bringing the show’s scenography to life, Chiuri worked with Sumano, an association that aims to revive the traditional women’s crafts of Moroccan tribes. Sumano produced decor for the show like pottery and fabrics, seen in painted ceramic plates and cushions, as well as a coat woven and hand-painted. 

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After presenting its Resort 2020 collection in Marrakech, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri of Dior introduces a new campaign designed as a "common ground", in tribute to diversity and savoir-faire. The collection tells tales of traditions and cultures while celebrating diversity, individuality, and pluralistic femininity through an animated video lensed by photographer Brigitte Niedermair with models Ruth Bell, Adesuwa Aighewi and Ana Barbosa. 

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The series of fabrics and patterns are combined to second the message of inclusivity, diversity and freedom. Camouflage motifs, lace, cashmere jacquard, silk shantung embroideries and Toile du Jouy motifs are reinterpreted with wax print crafted in the Ivory Coast city of Abidjan by a studio named Uniwax. In addition, the dreamy collection features a bevy of robes, pattern-heavy tops, and dresses. Standout pieces include newly designed Book Totes and Saddle Bags. Elegant reversible bucket hats in various contrasting patterns like camouflage print against Dior’s signature Dior Oblique monogram canvas. 

Dior Cruise 2020 Collection Video

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Photographer Brigitte Niedermair's video using a poetic animation of still images for Dior is an ode to pluralistic femininity. The graphically powerful staging showcases two universes and how they combine and merge to create a common ground and symbolises the imaginary crossroads between Chiuri and Africa.

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In case you missed it, the House of Dior recently presented its spring/summer 2020 collection. Presented in a beautifully designed "inclusive garden" at the Hippodrome de Longchamps in Paris, the latest collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri was inspired by archival photographs of the founder's sister, Catherine Dior.

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Nature and the preservation of biodiversity are among the central themes celebrated in this show. Driven by this conviction and by the love of gardens, this new Dior collection evokes — through motifs and embroideries, brilliance and texture of raffia — lush imaginary vegetation.

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The designs are presented in the style of herbaria, those precious inventories that preserve the memory of botanical species. Dior Creative Director's poetic message of environmental commitment highlights that every small gesture counts in protecting and cultivating the beauty of our Earth. The maison also purchased 170 trees from plant nurseries that will be replanted in three different locations in the Paris region.

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Dior Spring/Summer 2020: Love for the Gardens first appeared on PrestigeOnline Indonesia

The post Our favourite moments from the Dior Spring Summer 2020 show appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Dior had just presented its spring/summer 2020 collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri last night. The collection was inspired by photographs of Catherine Dior—Christian Dior's sister—in which she appears amid her flowers, in the garden that was her passion.

Nature and the preservation of biodiversity are among the central themes celebrated in this show. Driven by this conviction and by the love of gardens, this new Dior collection evokes — through motifs and embroideries, brilliance and texture of raffia — lush imaginary vegetation.

[gallery ids="165828,165829,165830,165831,165832"]

The designs are presented in the style of herbaria, those precious inventories that preserve the memory of botanical species. Dior Creative Director's poetic message of environmental commitment highlights that every small gesture counts in protecting and cultivating the beauty of our Earth. The maison also purchased 170 trees from plant nurseries that will be replanted in three different locations in the Paris region.

Watch the re-run of Dior's Spring/Summer 2020 show here.

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Ringing in autumn and winter, Dior presents a new campaign featuring Selena Forrest and Ruth Bell. The autumn/winter 2019/2020 ready-to-wear collection by Artistic Director of Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri, is inspired by the rebellious elegance and creative audacity of Teddy Boys' Teddy Girls, counterparts of the English culture.

The Italian photographer Brigitte Niedermair shot the Dior campaign for the first time. His contemporary look sublimates, through a game of curves and abstractions, the icons of the Dior style.

A veritable ode to the sorority, this series of shots outlines the contours of an affirmed femininity, like the silkscreen T-shirts Sisterhood is Global and Sisterhood is Powerful. They pay homage to the literary works of the American feminist poet Robin Morgan.

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The Collection

Like a modern echo in the '50s and the silhouette of the New Look, the Bar jacket has been redesigned in a more masculine line, highlighted by belts evoking the iconic curves of the Saddle bag. The latter, declined denim punctuated with the Dior Oblique pattern, is revealed alongside the Dior Book Tote and Diorcamp, both dressed in gingham, the iconic Lady Dior, revisited in matte leather, and the new home must-have , the 30 Montaigne bag, presented in an unpublished version in crushed lamb leather, with a vintage effect.

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A standard of British culture dear to Christian Dior, the tartan meets the toile de Jouy and the leopard, fetish codes of the couturier-founder. A statement of elegance according to Dior, punctuated with precious couture accessories, where shoes and heels, with small heels, pearls and sunglasses hemmed with crystals, rub shoulders with the reversible veil bobs created by Stephen Jones, the British hatter of the House.

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“The experience of dance, its most intimate truth, the fact that it is a means of universal expression and the radicalism of the gestures of contemporary dance have all stimulated my imagination,” stated Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri in the show notes for Dior’s Ready-to-Wear Spring-Summer 2019 Collection.

Known for championing women’s empowerment, this season Chiuri celebrates heroines of contemporary dance: Loïe Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Ruth Saint Denis, Martha Graham and Pina Bausch. These dancers have, each in their own way, shaken up the established codes to develop a new idea of the beauty of the body in motion - in a new perspective. The dynamic work of these artists was a starting point for the inspiration for the collection.

The romance of dance is in the DNA of Dior. Christian Dior loved dance, as evidenced by the Dior archives, which contain documents illustrating his amazing collaboration with Roland Petit on the ballet Treize Danses, and photos of Margot Fonteyn, who was both prima ballerina and a House client.

“I think dance and fashion are very close, for they both speak about the body,” said Chiuri, who “wanted to speak about dance with a different point of view”. She took her cues from modern choreographers who express freedom. That sense of freedom in modern dance is translated into a new outlook for traditional ballerina silhouettes. Chiuri removed constricting corsets, bones and underwires, as well as stiff fabrication. Instead, she opted for jerseys,
silks and soft tulles. These were cut, draped, pleated or layered in an organic, flowing manner.

Exuding a “Madame Grès–meets–Martha Graham” mood, the collection is dominated with swishy dresses that exude neo-grecian elements, in a relaxed fit-and-flare silhouttes. The handicraft trend this season is very much explored in this collection with seventies-era crochet to fisherman weaves to folksy beadwork to macramé appliqué, seen on various dresses.

Sparkly embroidery and lace accents also decorate some of the dresses, especially for a more glamorous touch. Tie-dye technique is also greatly applied on various fashion items and accessories, from bags to shoes. Along with the tie-dye motif, Shiburi scarf prints and floral prints are also offered though in a more abstract style.

A line-up of jackets and coats, worn with skirts or pants, and sometimes worn over dresses, are also offered. With a strong cut, these belted jackets add an edge, while making perfect sense when paired with the voluminous skirts.

While the spring/summer season can be the right time for bright colours, Chiuri opted for a more controlled colour palette. Black, grey, white and beige are the colours most seen in the collection. There are splashes of olive green, muted yellows and shades of navy, all melt together in unison. If there is any standouts, it come from the aforementioned tie-dye and floral motifs, and from the artisanal handiwork decorating the looks.

For accessories, the leather goods continued Dior’s favourite hits. The bags, many worn cross-body style on the runway, included new variations of icons such as the Lady Dior and the Diorama. The Saddle bag, this season, also comes as a belt bag and clutch. Messenger bags are also offered aplenty, many in Dior’s Oblique canvas. For footwear, functional sneakers are offered along with gorgeous strappy heels. The stand-out shoe in the collection is the plexi-heeled wedge with nude braided ribbon from foot to ankle, which almost gives the illusion of doing a ballerina’s pointe technique.

Celebrating the beauty of dance and freedom of expression, the Dior Spring/Summer 2019 collection is something that delightfully captures a powerful and winning spirit.

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With a career that spanned close to seven decades, Karl Lagerfeld's demise is felt at every corner of the fashion industry.

The post Karl Lagerfeld: Tributes from the fashion world pour in appeared first on The Peak Magazine.