Dior catches the eye in Ukraine with its latest haute couture – The Hollywood Reporter

Anyone looking for a “return to normal” need only look as far as Paris this week – amid postcard-perfect summer weather, lines to enter the Louvre were long before COVID, outdoor cafes packed closed and couture shows take place once. once again emphasizing Hollywood stars, and not just in the front row. Exhibit A: the blockbuster runway Balenciaga introduced on Wednesday morning, with Nicole Kidman, Dua Lipa and Kim Kardashian joining Bella Hadid, Naomi Campbell and other supermodels for Demna Gvasalia’s latest collection.

However, amid such examples of high fashion performance, Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri wants to keep the real world in the spotlight. That is evident from the moment guests step into the tent on the grounds of the Rodin Museum, with rich embroideries lining the side and rear walls, their surfaces an immediate statement of identity. The care and intricate detail that goes into Parisian craftsmanship. clothes. “Look at these rugs,” commented Naomi Watts. “They take months to make, and you can feel the love; it’s extraordinary. “

Indeed, the oversized panels represent more than the beauty of craftsmanship. For inspiration for her Fall/Winter 2022 couture collection, Grazia Chiuri turned to Ukrainian artist Olesia Trofymenko and not only used the main symbol of the work – the tree of life – in her designs. her work, she also invited artists to come up with ideas for the setting for the show. Trofymenko, in turn, crossed another frontier, to Mumbai’s Chanakya Craft School, to create intricately detailed backdrops.

Marisa Berenson was one of the unsurprising guests when Grazia Chiuri chose to focus Dior’s attention on the war in Ukraine, about five months after the Russian invasion. “What Maria does so amazingly is she captures what’s happening in the world and creates a fashion world that reflects what’s happening out there,” she says. “So it’s not just about fashion; it’s also about what’s happening on so many levels, socially and artistically, and that’s what makes it so rich, interesting, and thought-provoking.”

Trofymenko’s artistic aesthetic is of course expressing its own beauty with the floral and grape embroideries that adorn many of Grazia Chiuri’s works – and there is a legacy to be found in that idea too. , if one considers how deeply Christian Dior fell in love with his garden. and find a way to include it in multiple collections. But the firm’s current art director has also found a way to enhance both the embroidery and the folk-themed ideas as a whole, creating a look that’s not only momentous but also expressive. respectfully pay homage to a part of the world in real crisis.

Indeed, through such a statement, Grazia Chiuri is seeking to highlight the deeply felt tradition that some elements of this fashion have enjoyed for literally centuries in a particular region. global body. Whoever planted sunflowers in support of Ukraine or wore blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, did so in solidarity; Grazia Chiuri merely elevates that idea to the next level of fashion.

Some of the resulting pieces are simply beautiful interpretations of this idea. In addition to gorgeous embroideries, Grazia Chiuri also uses silk chiffon to create gorgeous dresses that, upon closer inspection, have reinterpreted the house’s iconic Bar jacket through the Create overlays and structures supported by the use of ribbons. Embroidered details dancing around the hem only enhance the movement of many of these gowns, which will find their way onto the impending red carpet.

Elle Macpherson said: “Maria Grazia is an incredibly respected, cultivated and intelligent woman, and what she does especially today with the celebration of Ukraine, especially in high fashion, is quite remarkable. “What I love about Dior is just the way they’ve moved throughout this time and given such a holistic perspective – on culture, creativity and fashion, obviously much more.”

For anyone who has ever pondered whether fashion is art, or whether fashion should position itself in the midst of today’s global or political conversations, Watts pointed to the work. created by Grazia Chiuri and has an answer ready. “Fashion is an art form, and these are stories that need to be told,” she said. “If you have a big voice and a following, there are even more reasons. And Maria Grazia Chiuri is great at that.”