DIOR: The witch is loose in Paris

“Why have there been great women artists?” This is the print of the key t-shirt that opened the penultimate Dior show – the Ready to Wear 2017 – under the creative direction of Maria Grazia Chiuri. Uncomfortable, to say the least, isn't it!? The ironic question is also the title of the article by historian Linda Nochlin. In it, Linda analyzes the notion of “artistic greatness,” that is, the fact that art history researchers treat genius as something innate – you are born with it and cannot develop it – and, with that, they do not take into account the historical, social, economic context, and especially the gender issues that contribute to this. The study answers the question by noting that the great names in Art had more access to educational institutions and possibilities for total dedication to their careers due to financial issues, not to mention the fact that women were expected to dedicate themselves to family and household duties.

“The fault is not in our stars, our hormones, menstrual cycles, or empty internal spaces. But in our institutions and in our education. Considering that education includes everything that happens to us from the moment we enter the world of symbols, signs, and signals.” (NOCHLIN, 1971: p.28)

Some say that this is “just another brand that appropriates feminist discourse to sell more.” However, this is when Dior historically REDEEMS itself with the women it dressed. Whether by choosing a cast of models who also have careers in the Visual Arts, or by using illustrations created by Niki de Saint Phalle applied to the pieces. But this is not just about symbolism; after all, Maria Grazia gives voice, space, and visibility to women, from her very first moment in the brand. We can start with herself - who is the first woman to hold the creative direction of Dior. And in her debut, in September 2017, she brought to the runway a t-shirt with the slogan "We should all be feminists," the title of a TED talk and a book – among the bestsellers of 2016/2017 - by activist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Right from the start, Grazia sends her message: the woman of Dior has changed. Fashion has changed. THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.

And it is not enough to have one, two, or several t-shirts; she builds a new chapter of this new moment for the brand with each show. In her latest haute couture spring/summer 2018 show, Dior demonstrated that it truly wants to respond to the questions it raises. Maria Grazia sought, once again, to honor the women she admires and who inspire her, such as the surrealist artist Leonor Fini. SHE ALONE WOULD BE THE ANSWER TO MANY POINTS. Leonor Fini is an example of an artist whose works were boycotted and devalued in her generation. Even surrounded by praise and also harsh criticism for how she expressed/behaved personally (a remarkable and morally free lover, lol), and being close to names like Picasso and Di Cavalcanti, the artist was always merely labeled as “another beautiful woman” in social circles. Thus, her creation was minimized, and her name was - almost always - forgotten among “the greats” who emerged at the time and who today are the so-called “leading figures of surrealist art.” André Breton himself, the founder of the movement, did not accept her as a member because, according to him, “women cannot have a central position in art.”

But in this case, despite being overshadowed, Leonor was a very transgressive woman in a male-dominated world, and for that reason, even this posture was subverted and was almost always explored as that of a sensual woman and never as an artist. Something that still happens a lot today, according to data from the Guerrilla Girls collective; in general terms, in the exhibitions they researched around the world - 60% of the artworks in major museums depict nude women and only 2 to 3% include works by female artists in exhibitions and collections. Some say that Leonor was the most photographed woman of the 20th century and, even so, little is known about her extensive work. It seems that “the ends justify the means,” doesn’t it? Especially if the “means” are in favor of silencing women's art and privileging men, once again.

Historical and artistic references aside, in the show, Dior features party dresses that - despite a few variations in shape - are very symbolic, especially within the house of the New Look. Maria designs models that reveal the body, the tulle that unveils, and the clothing that no longer confines but liberates and breathes.

In the shoes, the low heel is another sign that Maria is in tune with the desires of new generations. Young people do not like high heels, and luxury brands have fully embraced this new reality.

On the runway, black and white represent the colors of the human unconscious and also appear in the checkered pattern in the Rodin Museum, in Paris, where cages and birds populate the ceiling of the scenery alongside suspended bodies to create a surreal atmosphere.

Dior, Fashion Show, Couture Collection Spring Summer 2018 in Paris[/caption]

Meanwhile, the highlight of the show, besides the implicit discourse, are the masks by Stephen Jones - in homage to Peggy Guggenheim, who exhibited Fini's works in 1943, at the "Exhibition of 31 Female Artists."

Amid a shower of references and teaching Art on the runway, Dior emerges like a never-ending gunfire, and its most accurate shot, obviously, was in choosing the new creative director.

...this director who grows increasingly witch-like each day. So much so that she references women (alchemists or not) who were called “witches” for their questioning through the “dark” aesthetic with blacks, laces, tulles, and other possibilities that emerge lightly and in the well-defined eyes of the new witches of today. Not to mention the myriad influences of Tarot in her pieces.

Finally, Maria brings the sincere elegance of someone who knows exactly what she is doing. And she possibly attempts in a genuine way to “correct” a shortsighted history, be it in fashion or in the open veins of our society. Her show has so many layers that with each one, there is always a new discovery. A new learning that leads you to texts and questions that most of us have never stopped to read and think. The feminine has always been used against ourselves as a tool of submission: women are too fragile, too delicate, "little women" too much and too superficial... Even Mr. Dior used this “feminine” by creating the New Look, which had no practical functionality for post-war times and was used merely to capitalize more during times of crisis. However, this is yet another submissive role chosen by men. A role that we are not obligated to accept, but rather, always question and confront whenever imposed upon us. After all, THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A WOMAN IN EVERYTHING, whether accepted or not.