To say that flamenco inspired fashion is an understatement. But to say that fashion inspired flamenco is to open up the world. Because it is in this artistic contamination, in the way in which the expressive codes of fashion are put at the service of one of the noblest dance arts, that Maria Grazia Chiuri’s style code for Dior Cruise 2023 fashion collection. Entrust the keys to the Andalusian city in her hands, the creative director of the House of Dior traveled on June 16 to the majestic Plaza de España, to the Maria Luisa Park in Seville, as well as to an extraordinary masterpiece designed by the Seville architect. Annibale Gonzalez during the 20s of the twentieth century.
Dior Cruise 2023: craftsmanship exclusive to elle.it
As in typical feria area, the most symbolic aesthetic of Seville’s imaginary triumph in the Dior Cruise 2023 collection. The creative process was presented by the French house through a series of digital materials that reveal the journey of Maria Grazia Chiuri in search of local culture and tailoring traditions. Thus, the excellence of the Dior atelier meets with local artisans to breathe life into garments that are the protagonist of the collection. And what we are pleased to show you in these photos exclusively for elle.it.
Dior Cruise 2023: Christian iconography
However, not only craft workshops. After exploring Seville through the journey of Maria Grazia Chiuri, we also discover stylistic references shared in Christian iconography with traditional flamenco dresses. The ecclesiastical splendor is evident in the rich gold thread embroidery present in the garment worn by “La Guapa”, the Madonna venerated in the Basilica de la Macarena, and also in the garment worn by the Virgin of Santuario de los Hitanos. Lace, embroidery and gypsy ribbons have inspired Maria Grazia Chiuri, who honors tradition and then separates herself from it, liberating it from a purely feminist perspective and in line with its values.
Dior Cruise 2023: pants as a symbol of a break with the patriarchy
The essence of flamenco, reinterpreted according to the feminist rules of Maria Grazia Chiuri, leads us to the discovery of a person of great importance in flamenco culture. It is the Valencian artist Maria Ángeles Vila, with whom the House of Dior has collaborated to realize graphic prints, who reveals her key role in the history of Seville: Carmen Amaya, also known as La Capitan, was a flamenco dancer who eschewed the typical flounced dress in favor of trousers.. She was not only the first woman to dance in trousers, but also the first to publicize this (her) need to further increase the speed of steps and the quality of movements.
Becoming a symbol of female emancipation and the liberation of the female body, Maria Grazia Chiuri used her story to turn it into a metaphor for the break with patriarchy.. Not surprisingly, the dance performance that preceded the fashion show also featured a flamenco dancer in trousers.
Dior Cruise 2023: clothes dedicated to (also) Monsieur
It would be inconsistent to think that Maria Grazia Chiuri somehow “betrayed” the French aesthetic in favor of the Seville one. Indeed, to legitimize her Dior Cruise 2023 collection – and the associated collaboration with Andalusian savoir faire – we feel compelled to dust off the Maison’s archives. Monsieur Christian Dior for his Dior Haute Couture Spring Summer 1957 collection created a formal dress called Spain. It was made of pure white organza and embroidered with gold thread. Fashion history says that among the biggest fans of this dress was actress Ingrid Bergman, who would later wear Dior in the film. immodest Directed by Stanley Donen in 1958.
As a narrative tool for Seville culture, Dior Cruise 2023 clothing also pays homage to the creative talent of the house’s founding father. Showing us today her most modern face, her most feminine essence and obviously in step with what the fashion market wants today. Black and red dominate as dominant colors, along with gold and white as highlights. Ruffles and flounces, bandeau tops and frilly fabrics characterize the design.
The aesthetic of the iconic Bar Jacket, created at the time by Monsieur Dior, is combined with the aesthetic typical of bullfighters, from whose visual images Maria Grazia Chiuri also borrowed the hat, the leitmotif of the collection. Sensual transparency, embroidery and signature motifs: the Dior quilt is back on lined outerwear. Finally, two printed dresses will complete the show. An image of La Capita in trousers, a symbol of the fight against patriarchy. And a word that burns strongly and sounds like a mantra in a fast flamenco rhythm: FUEGO.
Source: Elle