Spirit of Dior lives on

China influence remains strong as expo participation proves, He Qi reports in Shanghai.

For spring-summer 1948, Christian Dior, without ever having been to China, presented designs inspired by the city of Shanghai. He was drawing on themes that were already present in the Asian-inspired decoration and ornamentation of his childhood home.

Recalling these influences, the couturier expressed his fascination for China in his collections, as evidenced by his creations Pekin, Nuit de Chine and Bleu de Chine.

Later, in 1980, Dior opened its first boutique in Hong Kong, followed by Shanghai in 1994 — 37 years after Dior's death and 46 years after his first fashion foray into Chinese themes.

In 2008, 21 Chinese artists showcased their interpretation of the essence of the house of Dior through their works on display at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing.

After holding numerous art exhibitions and participating in fashion events, the Dior brand, alongside the LVMH Group Houses, reaffirmed its unfailing friendship with China in 2019 by participating in the China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

This year, from Sunday to Friday, Dior once again took part in CIIE.

Dior chose to spotlight a series of exceptional, creative pieces that reflect the many affinities it has with China.

From Christian Dior to Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones, the artistic directors and successors to the founding-couturier have infused their collections with inspiration that radiates the splendors of the country.

To prolong this unique odyssey, visitors were invited to view a video detailing the shared history written between Dior and China.

A second film was dedicated to the partnership between Dior and the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival, relating the precious links between the brand and the world of cinema.

Meanwhile, the LVMH pavilion hosted a "Cabinet of Curiosities", featuring the Lady Dior redesigned by Li Shurui for the third edition of Dior Lady Art, as well as the limited edition Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet with its mischievous Bobby bottle.

A number of creations presented by Chinese artists merged the legacy with the future of the famous fashion house.

'Dior Lady Art #8' by Xu Zhen

Xu Zhen, a local artist and Shanghai native, designed two Lady Dior handbags, one of which was showcased at the Dior booth.

Inspired by the artist's Metal Language series, the two handbags are made of transparent plexiglass and mirror-effect printed fabric, while adorned with phrases and exclamations written in gold and silver, applied on a reflective surface.

The artist says that he wanted to address the value and meaning of discourse by "hijacking" certain pre-established formulations in a lighthearted way.

"For me, fashion is a medium, not an industry. The bag itself is particularly eye-catching, making it a great canvas for artists to create," says Xu, who combines installation, video, painting and performance in his singular universe, establishing himself as an emblematic figure of contemporary Chinese art.

Xu explains that his Metal Language series is inspired by fragmented information found in areas such as news, media, and comics.

"These phrases are very similar to the information stream that we have suddenly seen in life. In fact, we don't care much about any of these phrases or words, but some of them are harmful or have the ability to change our situation. The contingency of words and the sense of connection to language can be reflected in this creation."

'Lady Dior As Seen By' by Liu Jianhua

After graduating from Jingdezhen Ceramic University in 1989, Liu Jianhua has grown to be one of the most experimental and representative exponents in the field of contemporary Chinese art, using a comprehensive range of materials in his creations.

His collaboration with Dior for the "Lady Dior As Seen By" project was selected to be showcased at the brand's booth.

The handbag adopts gold as the main color, making it very eye-catching.

"The concept behind my Lady Dior handbag comes from the inspiration I gained from the Dior brand. It is the embodiment of brilliance, eternity and luxury," says Liu, whose ceramic and composite works usually tend to reflect the nation's economic and social changes.

"I think gold is noble, whether in the East or the West and noble or normal, people like to use gold. I have always questioned what kind of feeling gold brings to people, so this time I used traditional ceramic to create the golden handbag.

"I don't know how everyone feels about this, but I just want to express my ideas."

Medallion Chair by Ma Yansong

Meteor, the Medallion chairs conceived by Chinese architect Ma Yansong for the Salone del Mobile in 2021, were displayed at the Dior booth.

Produced in 3D-printed polyurethane and hand-finished with paint, Ma's design aims to capture the moment when the classic medallion chair passes through time, transitioning from the historical past into the future.

"The medallion chair represents something timeless; it is something that has become quite recognizable through generations, across the globe. It is a design icon," says Ma, who grew up in Beijing and wanted to capture the essence of Dior while incorporating a sense of imagination.

"I think Dior thought that design should be timeless, self-explanatory, and not overcomplicated and that it should speak to many people," he adds.

Outfits by Maria Grazia Chiuri

Based on the classic Bar Jacket by Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri, the current creative director for women's clothing at Dior, infused new spirit into the design by highlighting the traditional fabrics, an intangible cultural heritage, of the Dong ethnic group from Guizhou province.

The outfits displayed on the booth showcased the exquisite craftsmanship shared by Dior and Chinese ethnic groups.

"My job at Dior is a journey of studying handicrafts. Starting from the tradition of high-end customization, I have followed in Dior's footsteps to explore fabrics and technologies from around the world, step by step. This time, I participated in a handicraft project to explore the amazing Dong stitch craft and gain a deeper understanding of its unique weaving techniques," Chiuri says.

"The several works created using Chinese fabrics at the Dior workshop in Paris, I believe, represent the fact that handicrafts can transcend national borders, accommodate and showcase different cultures, and are the best proof of the beauty that handicrafts work together to create."

Exquisite velvet flowers

Hats from the Dior Men's Summer 24 collection, incorporating ronghua, exquisite velvet flowers that have been produced in China since the Tang Dynasty (618-907), were also showcased by Dior.

Ronghua, the pronunciation of which in Chinese is homophonic with "glory and splendor", symbolizes good luck and blessings. These artificial flowers are made of silk and were originally used exclusively by the Tang royal court.

Le Cabinet Extraordinaire

The result of a collaboration with design studio Neri & Hu, this exquisite beauty box was showcased by the French fashion house.

Inspired by Christian Dior's beauty box, designers Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu created the luxurious artistic gift box with storage grids, mirrors and drawers.

Le Cabinet Extraordinaire is limited to just 250 sets worldwide, 80 of which will be available in Chinese mainland.

Two signature skincare products are presented in the box — Dior Prestige La Micro-huile De Rose and La Creme.

Contact the writer at heqi@chinadaily.com.cn