Dior falls in love with Mexico, a constellation of places that generate emotions, that leave a mark in the hearts of those who live them. Maria Grazia Chiuri approaches and becomes passionate about the country, as it was also for the artists who experienced this land rich in tradition, including Tina Modotti, who interpreted landscapes and people with her shots. A true “place of the soul” that brings the French Maison’s Cruise 2024 collection to life through inspiration, culture and customs. The Creative Director takes advantage of this moment to explore a distant country and exalt it at the same time, taking a closer look at its intense history and its women, fighters and spokeswomen of female figure. Frida Kahlo remains one of the most iconic character for Mexico, becoming part of a recognized image, beloved around the world and celebrated at the heart of the collection. The artist transcends her body through the clothes, which become representation, protest and affirmation; Maria Grazia Chiuri is inspired by her figure, the determined person she was and the difficult and dramatic history that characterized her life, exploring the way she claims her independence, first and foremost intellectual. From the photographs we understand how Frida throughout her life challenged the boundaries of male-female gender, wearing a three-piece suit and moving away from the stereotype of the classical woman. Dior’s clothes are a tribute to her style, which is intertwined with Mexican culture: the shapes are an echo of the Tehuana tradition and the wide skirt, typical of the French Maison, is worn with a traditional tunic called huipil.
For this new line unveiled in Mexico City, Maria Grazia Chiuri create strong ties with local artisans who excelled: original embroideries and co-creation crafted with their ateliers, adorning dresses and shirts.
Maria Grazia Chiuri establishes a strong relationship with local artisans, who help her understand in depth the traditions that symbolize the country and their typical workmanship. Among a mostly neutral palette of black and white, a pink dress stands out, like the one dear to Frida Kahlo that also appears in one of her self-portraits. Under a light summer rain, beauty is rendered by the variety of cotton lace, collars that brighten jersey and black velvet, and wide full skirts. Each dress releases the Maison’s French elegance and traditional Mexican flair through soft shirts, dark jackets with embroidery that excel against the black background, masculine pants, and long dresses that mark the waist, then open to a corolla shape. One senses the essence of Mexico through the shapes and colors, one perceives the need on the part of the Creative Director to reclaim the independence of women: a pair of gray suits worn with a vest of the same color, white shirt and black tie, faithfully echo the male wardrobe, while emanating a limitless femininity, a scent of sophistication and contemporaneity. The butterfly comes to life on the silhouettes, a figure that appears throughout the show, declined in different accessories and patterns covering the clothes, as a symbol of representation and liberation. The emblematic animal appears on necklaces, belts, and bags, in embroidered details and finally, in the toile de jouy inspired by local flora and fauna with parrots and monkeys, the same ones that also recur in Frida’s paintings.
The collection is an opportunity to forge new links between savior-faire, ancestral traditions and innovation.
The intimate and sentimental dimension that guided Maria Grazia Chiuri is also reflected in the choice of the fashion show location, the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, in Mexico City, where the important Mexican painter studied. A place rich in history and passion, where Frida Kahlo met Diego Rivera, her teacher and lifelong love. During the défilé, Elina Chauvet’s performance takes place, transforming the old college into a space of the heart: the Mexican artist narrates, through the exciting modulations and chromatic vividness of the collection, a femininity that is built through the relationship with the natural environment, and that is defined between activist posture and light delicacy. The undisputed love for Mexico began with Christian Dior, when his desire to travel with his mind to distant lands influenced the choice of the name of the garments in his first collection; one dress was named Mexico, the beginning of a bond that continues to this day. The Maison is not only inspired by the Mexican land and its iconic figures, but also explores the culture and tradition, transforming it from a faraway place, to a place of the soul.
