A constellation of places that spark emotions–this is what Mexico is to Maria Grazia Chiuri. A“place of the soul,”just as it was for surrealist artists, from Leonora Carrington to Remedios Varo, and for Tina Modotti who, through her photographs, captured the landscapes and people of Mexico.
The emblematic figure of Frida Kahlo continues to offer a powerful connection to this culture,celebrated at the heart of the Dior cruise 2024 collection. The Mexican artist transcended her body through her clothes,which became representation, proclamation, protest, and affirmation.Like aprecious jewel case for a broken body, a cocoon-case concealing a butterfly meta-morphed into a motif unfolding in multiple shades and forms, through a series of prints. Moths also come to life on the silhouettes, based on a sketch by Andrée Brossin de Méré from the Dior archives.
Maria GraziaChiuri was inspired by photographs of Frida Kahlobending the rules of gender boundaries.Fromthe age of nineteen, Frida wore a men’s three-piece suit, transgressing her femininity to claim an independence above all intellectual. Suits thus pay tribute toher style while, in counterpoint, echoingthe Tehuana custom, full skirts are worn with a traditional tunic: thehuipil.For this new line, unveiledinMexico City, Maria Grazia Chiuri has once again forged strong ties with local artisans who excelled. Their expertise shines with original embroideries, co-creationscrafted with their ateliers,notably adorning dresses and shirts.
A pink dress reminiscent ofthe one worn by Frida Kahlo in one of her self-portraitsis featured. Thecaptivatingbeauty of fragility is further enhanced by the variety of cotton, hemp and silk laceselected,by the meticulous designs of the collars sublimating the jersey and black velvet, and by the butterfly-like jacquards.Velvet is revisited in a mesmerizing palette of colors on skirts that, thanks to theirpleats, emphasize the hips before opening into corollas. Butterflies also populate the toile de Jouy,illustrating Mexican flora and fauna alongside parrots, monkeys andstrelitziasthat also illuminatethe paintings of Frida Kahlo.
The personal dimensiont hat guided Maria Grazia Chiuri is reflected in the choice of venue for theshow: the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, where the iconic Mexican painter studied. A symbolic location, where she met Diego Rivera, the mentor,the loveof a lifetime. In this privilegedlocation, a performance by Mexican feminist artist Elina Chauvetwill take place. Mexico, a countryof theheart,expresses–through the emotional modulations and chromatic vivacity of this cruise line–a femininity that is constructed by a relationship with the natural environment,in a balance of engagement and light-heartedness.
Comments are off this post!