Maria Grazia Chiuri takes Dior to Mexico for the Cruise 2024 presentation. The collection looks to the country’s artistic history and celebrated the emotions inherent in the surrealist hub. Particularly inspired by Frida Kahlo, it pulls in her ability to transcend her body into a form of protest and representation. Maria Grazia Chiuri was inspired by photographs of the artist in classic menswear, blurring gender boundaries in a three-piece suit. Independent and intellectual, she embodies the Dior spirit and, in turn, the collection honours her legacy.
Fragility comes through in the intricate detailing of each piece, from the collars to jacquards to medley of cotton, hemp, and silk lace fabrics — and strength shines through in the powerful silhouettes of suits and full skirts with huipils (traditional Tehuana tunics). A pink dress reinterprets one Kahlo wore in a self-portrait, and Andrée Brossin de Méré’s sketches of moths are brought out of the Dior archives and onto the stage. Cocoons and butterflies feature in the toile de Jouy, which shows Mexican flora and fauna alongside parrots, monkeys, and strelitzias that come to life in Kahlo’s paintings.
Exploring a dynamic relationship between femininity and nature, Maria Grazia Chiuri looked to local artisans to co-create original, enthralling embroideries with their ateliers. In a symbolic location of the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso — where Frida Kahlo studied and met Diego Rivera — the pieces came to life in a mesmerising runway presentation. Combining the House of Dior and the “place of the soul”, the Cruise 2024 presentation was a beautiful medley of cultures, time periods, and artistries.
