Culture - 3/28/24
Dior unveils the exclusive new book Dior Scarves. Fashion Stories edited by Maria Luisa Frisa, which explores the myriad of inspirations behind those silk squares and their role within the House, from Christian Dior to Maria Grazia Chiuri.
A graceful finishing touch, the exceptional item stands out as a key element of any wardrobe, relating– through the variety of its prints and the virtuosity of its savoir-faire – a pluralistic odyssey. Tied around the neck or wrist, sublimating a hairstyle or the face, embracing the waist, punctuating an accessory, or worn as a statement, it completes every look with quintessential elegance. And in so doing, it translates Monsieur Dior’s vision according to which, ̋the detail is as important as the essential. ̋
This incredible heritage is spotlighted in a unique publication representing an atlas of 425 scarves organized by theme – Paris, Optical effects, Cosmogonies, Wefts, Codex, Flora, Bestiary, Colorama, Messages, Fashion –, enriched by Brigitte Niedermair’s exquisite photographs arranged in an enchanting portfolio. Magnetic shots celebrating the infinitely small, the art of detail, those multiple creative visions that are marvelously Dior.
In addition to offering an unparalleled visual repertoire, the volume illustrates true stories of fashion. Sophisticated or minimalist, figurative or abstract, both precious and for every day, masculine and feminine, the drawings featured testify to a diversity of artistic sources, from prehistoric caves to modern and contemporary art, via pop art, New Realism, abstraction and even drip painting... The cartography of Paris inspired by the Turgot map – chosen by Monsieur Dior in the 1950s to adorn an irresistible scarf – reveals its numerous facets all the way to the model dreamed up by Maria Grazia Chiuri for the Dior spring-summer 2023 ready-to-wear show.
Initiated by the Creative Director of Dior women’s collections, this abundant compendium assembles seminal texts by fashion historians: Maria Luisa Frisa – full professor at the University of Architecture in Venice (IUAV) –, Claire Allen-Johnstone – assistant curator of textiles, fashion and furniture at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London –, Elda Danese – researcher specializing in textile history at the IUAV –, and Émilie Hammen – professor at the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University and the Institut Français de la Mode. The latter studies the art of scarves in their many variations throughout Dior collections since 1947: ̋Much more than a formal detail, a dash of color or pattern, those silk squares actually concentrate a certain idea of creation. ̋
These historical, technical, and sensory insights into centuries-old artisanship and savoir-faire combined with the most cutting-edge innovation are brought to life in images lensed by Pol Baril in the secrecy of manufacturing.
Printed on paper that evokes both the lightness and silky texture of its subject matter, the book is dressed in a dust jacket displaying a large-format reproduction of a scarf on the back, like a final flourish of couture refinement.
Reflecting the House’s unceasing excellence and inventiveness more than ever, this fascinating corpus, published by Thames & Hudson, will be available in bookshops from March 28, 2024.
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