Paris Fashion Week: Dior puts Ukraine in the spotlight

Those looking for “normality” need only look to Paris this week: amid perfect summer weather, the lines to enter the Louvre are long before COVID, outdoor cafes are packed, and fashion shows are once again a decided focus on Hollywood. stars and not just the front row. Exhibit A: Balenciaga’s hit Wednesday morning show saw Nicole Kidman, Dua Lipa and Kim Kardashian join Bella Hadid, Naomi Campbell and more for Demna Gvasalia’s latest collection.

Yet amid such powerful examples of couture fantasy, Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri wanted to keep the real world in mind. This was evident from the moment visitors entered the marquee on the Musée Rodin grounds, with richly embroidered panels lining the side and rear walls, its surface an immediate expression of the care and intricate detail that characterize Parisian art. clothing. “Look at these tapestries,” commented Naomi Watts. “They must take months to make and you can feel the love; It’s extraordinary.”

Indeed, the large-scale panels represented more than just the beauty of craftsmanship. Grazia Chiuri turned to Ukrainian artist Olesya Trofimenko for inspiration for her Fall/Winter 2022 haute couture collection and not only used the main symbol of her work, the Tree of Life, in her designs, but also invited the artist to conceptualize. ready for the show. Trofimenko, meanwhile, reached out to another frontier, the Chanakya School of Crafts in Mumbai, to create intricately detailed sets.

Marisa Berenson was among the guests who weren’t surprised that Grazia Chiuri chose to put the Dior spotlight on the war in Ukraine, some five months after the Russian invasion. “What Maria makes so incredibly beautiful is that she takes what’s happening in the world and creates a fashion world that reflects what’s happening,” she said. “So it’s not just about fashion; It’s also about what happens on many levels, socially and artistically, and that’s what makes it rich and interesting and thought-provoking.”

Trofimenko’s artistic aesthetic lends itself beautifully, of course, to the floral and vine embroidery that adorned many of Grazia Chiuri’s pieces, and there’s a legacy to that idea too, given how much Christian Dior loved his garden. and tried to include it in many collections. But the brand’s current artistic director has also found ways to elevate the idea of ​​these embroideries and folkloric themes in general, creating looks that not only seem of the moment, but also pay homage to a part of the world in true crisis.

Indeed, through such a statement, Grazia Chiuri seeks to highlight the deeply felt tradition that various elements of this fashion have enjoyed for literally centuries in a particular region of the global landscape. Those who planted sunflowers in support of Ukraine or dressed in blue and yellow with the colors of the Ukrainian flag did the same as a sign of solidarity; Grazia Chiuri simply elevates this idea to the ne-plus-ultra of fashion.

Some of the results were simply beautiful interpretations of this idea. In addition to lush embroidery, Grazia Chiuri also used silk chiffon to create sheer dresses that, on closer inspection, reinterpreted the house’s iconic bar jacket with ruffles and structure, facilitated by the use of ribbons. The embroidered details that danced around the burlap only added to the movement of many of these dresses that were supposed to make their way to the inevitable red carpets.

“Maria Grazia is a very thoughtful, cultured and intelligent woman, and what she did today for this celebration of Ukraine, especially during haute couture, is quite remarkable,” said Elle McPherson. “What I love about Dior is how they move with this time and offer such a broad perspective: culture, creativity and fashion, obviously, but it’s so much more.”

For anyone who’s ever wondered if fashion is art, or if fashion should take a stand in current political or global conversations, Watts pointed to a piece by Grazia Chiuri and had a ready answer. “Fashion is an art form and it’s the stories that need to be told,” she said. “If you have a great voice and a following, then even more reason. Maria Grazia Chiuri is excellent at this.