The Most Artisanal Pieces Of The Latest Dior Lady Art Project

For the first time since launching the annual dior lady art project in 2016, the french maison gets an all-female cast of artists to reinterpret its signature tote, the Lady Dior. Imran Jalal singles out the most artisanal pieces and the cool women behind them.

- 

OLGA DE AMARAL

Who: An important figure in the post-war Latin American Abstraction movement, this Colombian artist is feted for her imaginative installations and tactile tapestries. Inspired by ancient preColombian textiles and gilded Catholic relics, her large–scale works – mostly made with fibreglass – come to life with paint and indigenous fibres swathed in luminous gold leaf.

Her take on the Lady Dior: All four styles reflect her ornate aesthetic. Two – in M – are bedecked in hand-folded strips of cotton pieces doused in 24K yellow gold. The other two – mini bags in gold or silver goatskin – are decorated in exquisite embroidery featuring metallised beads and hand-hammered metal charms.

BURCAK BINGOL

Who: A Turkish-born ceramics guru whose works have been displayed at the world’s top galleries, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her preoccupation with examining the concepts of belonging, cultural heritage, failure and ornamentation sees her making over gnarled, contorted earthenware with delicate floral paintings.

Her take on the Lady Dior: A dark brown patent leather version – available in both regular and mini sizes – gets a surreal jolt of colour with fluorescent floral embroidery boasting a tufted effect. Meanwhile, another Mini Lady Dior is a whimsical mix of modern and classic with white faux fur, blue and metallic embroidery (blooms, of course) and see-through handles.