Maria Grazia Chiuri renews her feminist anthem. “I want to make clothes where all the bodies fit. Like never before, this is the feeling of life”, declared the Dior designer on the sidelines of the show held in Paris on September 29, 2020. An exciting fashion show staged in a sort of modern cathedral set up in a tent in the Tuileries. A completely black space illuminated by Gothic windows, with an exclusively female a cappella choir in the background. Dior’s was a real “fashion ritual”, as Chiuri defined it. A ceremony made up of 81 looks that ranged across different stylistic universes, in a mix of cultures, fabrics, embroidered textures.
The clothes
The wide dresses, the shirts, the enveloping kimono-jackets are closed at the waist by thin double-looped leather belts, one braided and the other not. Softness is also found in light suede jackets, enriched with a meticulous floral embroidery. Soft and light materials, such as linen, cotton, knits and chiné, are mixed with more structured fabrics to create almost poetic patchworks. “A dialogue between two fabrics in a collage to create a very personal wardrobe”, explains the designer.
The accessories
The classic square Dior tote bag is offered in various patchwork fabrics and, above all, in leather. Many accessories are embellished with tassels, stripes, paisley and ikat motifs. Volumes range from maxi to micro, going from shoulder bags to sachets to be carried by hand. At the feet, flat sandals in leather, ballet flats, minimal flip-flops.
Cosiness
“I think our relationship with clothes is completely different now than in the past – explained Dior designer -. We have less public life and more private life”. And because of the “pandemic, we have a different relationship with our body, to take care of it and protect it. And the one with the clothes is more private and more intimate. We are experiencing a time of social distancing which can be depressing. So people, to feel better, need fashion to talk to them”. For this reason, Chiuri has chosen soft and comfortable shapes. “The dress lives in a more intimate space and requires a different comfort and attitude”.
Feminist anthem
Maria Grazia Chiuri was inspired by Lucia Marcucci‘s collage art. And she paid tribute to her with a film (which preceded the fashion show), made exclusively for Dior. It was directed by Italian director Alina Marazzi, author of documentaries that explore the condition and identity of women. Lucia Marcucci then created an installation that served as the backdrop for the fashion show. Title: Window of Visual Poetry, a work inspired by the sacred dimension of the windows of Gothic cathedrals, but which shows words and reflections on women.
Images from vogue.it
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