.new collection
Threads of Freedom
DIOR AW24-25 Homage to Faith Ringgold
written Monica de Luna
Dior’s Autumn-Winter 2024-2025 Haute Couture Show emerges from the fusion of art and fashion, a poignant tribute to the late Faith Ringgold. Her prolific legacy of activism and creativity continues to inspire. Under Maria Grazia Chiuri’s visionary guidance, Dior’s Creative Director, the collection celebrates Ringgold’s indomitable spirit, seamlessly blending Haute Couture with powerful narratives of female empowerment and artistic rebellion.
Faith Ringgold, born in 1930 in Harlem, New York, passed away in April 2024, leaving behind a legacy that spanned over seven decades. Her multifaceted career as a painter, sculptor, performance artist, writer, and educator was marked by a relentless pursuit of social justice. Ringgold’s work, deeply rooted in African American identity and gender equality, found a resonant echo in Chiuri’s latest collection for Dior.
Read why!
“You can’t sit around and wait for somebody to say who you are. You need to write it and paint it and do it.”
— Faith Ringgold
SCENOGRAPHY © ADRIEN DIRAND
© Faith Ringgold @acagalleries
© Chanakya School of Craft (12)
SCENOGRAPHY © ADRIEN DIRAND
© Faith Ringgold @acagalleries
© Chanakya School of Craft (3)
The show was a dazzling spectacle, merging the elegance of Haute Couture with the raw energy of Ringgold’s artistic legacy. Chiuri’s audacious use of jersey—a material traditionally shunned by couture—defied conventions and redefined luxury. Metallic hues of gold, silver, and white jersey cascaded over models, with ultra-light bustiers sculpting their silhouettes, creating a symphony of classical aesthetics and modern innovation.
The scenography with installations showcasing some of Ringgold’s most iconic series: Freedom Woman Now and Woman Free Yourself. These political posters, born in the early 1970s, were potent reminders of Ringgold’s enduring feminist and activist spirit. Freedom Woman Now, with its interlocking triangles and bold declarations, remains a clarion call for gender equality—a message as powerful today as it was over fifty years ago.
Chiuri’s collection also paid homage to the classical peplum, reimagining this historically significant garment within the context of contemporary women’s political freedom. The intricate draping and pleating of the pieces echoed the fluidity of movement, nodding to athletes from antiquity to the present day who have continually pushed boundaries and shattered barriers.
One standout feature of the show was the reinterpretation of Ringgold’s Windows of the Wedding #1: Woman, a series that celebrated the collaboration between Ringgold and her mother, Madame Willi Posey. Banners inspired by this work highlighted the symbiotic relationship between art and fashion, weaving together personal and collective histories. The thangkas, traditionally used in Tibetan art, were transformed into vibrant backdrops, underscoring the collection’s rich thematic depth. Simply fabulous!
The collaboration with the Chanakya ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft brought Ringgold’s Civic Center L.A. Subway Commission mosaics to life, reimagined as stunning embroideries. These life-sized recreations adorned the runway, blurring the lines between art and Haute Couture, celebrating the unifying power of creativity ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Red, Christian Dior’s “color of life,” pulsed through the collection, infusing it with vitality and defiance. A bathrobe embellished with mosaic mirrors stood out, transforming a mundane item into a statement of artistic rebellion. This fusion of couture and sportswear, classicism and rebellion, showcased Chiuri’s knack for crafting a narrative that is reflective and visionary. Chiuri’s homage encapsulated Ringgold’s legacy, underscoring Haute Couture’s power to challenge perceptions and inspire change.
As Ringgold herself said,
“The most important thing, to me, in life is inspiration. I want to inspire others and I want to be inspired.”
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(c) DIOR HC AW24-25