Category: Fashion, Art
Post Contributor: Alice Thomas, Olivier Blanc
When Fashion meets Art.
In a constant effort to bridge the gap between Fashion and Art, the fashion brand Dior frequently collaborates with artists and makers to artistically revisit some of their most iconic accessories. The British duo Gilbert and George were among others to reimagine the famous Lady Dior bag.
Lady Dior exhibition, Shanghai 2023. Photograph by Olivier Blanc
Drawing inspiration from the pain and joy of our world, Gilbert & George address a variety of human issues in their art, reflecting the desire to develop an art for all, free from formalism and univocal interpretation.
With this Dior collaboration, they transcribe their subversive and singular world onto two Lady Dior bags, transformed into captivating creations with multiple details saturated with colours and refined materials. These two exceptional pieces are adorned with a representation of the iconic tandem - evoking the richness and beauty that punctuate their art - while the manifesto embossed phrase "love always and all ways" embellishes the back of the bag.
At the convergence of artisanship and innovation, one of the models is dressed entirely in delicately embroidered beads, lending an irresistible couture allure to the exquisite design of this object of art and desire.
Lady Dior bag by Gilbert & George.
Photographs by Alice Thomas
"Love always and all ways"
Lady Dior bag boy Gilbert & George.
Who are Gilbert & George?
Gilbert & George is a British artist duo composed of Gilbert Proesch and George Passmore. They first met at St Martins School of Art in 1967 and have worked together ever since. Known for their distinctive and highly formal appearance and their colourful and graphic-style photo-based artworks, Gilbert & George have been among Britain’s most recognisable artists exhibiting work worldwide.
Their art is often controversial and provocative and usually challenges the norms and conventions of the art world. Working on subjects as diverse as sex, money, race, religion, love, hope and fear, the duo have managed to defy any notions of time (It has been over five and a half decades since they started their collaboration).
In 1969, they achieved a breakthrough with their performance titled The Singing Sculpture. For this, the pair covered their faces in bronze-coloured paint, stood on a small table, and sang the classic music-hall act Underneath the Arches.
Gilbert & George believe that art should be democratic and accessible to all. They also think that art and life should be brought closer together. Their original and unique approach to art has earned them recognition as one of the most important and influential artist duos of the 20th century. They continue to create thought-provoking and boundary-pushing art to this day. Gilbert and George believe that their entire career could be summed up in the three words: “art for all”.
Comments