Culture - 10/16/24
“A sketch must suggest both attack and allure; it must already suggest a living line; it must be redolent with movement.” confided Christian Dior in Christian Dior et moi*.
The House of Dior unveils Dior by Mats Gustafson, vol. II, an unprecedented repertoire of silhouettes designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri since her arrival as Creative Director of Dior women’s collections and sketched methodically by the Mats Gustafson, season after season.
His dazzling, incisive, poetic lines capture the essence of Dior style with unparalleled accuracy. Since 2012, Gustafson’s art has transposed the timeless modernity of the House’s latest creations as well as iconic pieces that have marked its history.
In his ink drawings, the Swedish artist conveys a desire to dissociate himself from context, decorative element sand ornamentation in favor of an absolute quest for a garment’s truth, its representation becoming an end unto itself.
His pencil strokes would be almost abstract did they not express a multitude of detail, translating the delicacy of lace, the complexity of embroidery, the sensual feel of a leather bag, and the virtuoso architecture of a model.
Blending collage and watercolor highlighted by instinctive traits, his compositions interpret the texture, surface and transparency of a textile with lyricism.
Such unique mastery also enables him to render the beauty of a drape; the manner in which a fabric clothes and enhances the body. “A dress only becomes interesting when it’s worn,” the artist notes, echoing Monsieur Dior’s observation that“for a dress to be successful, you must have an idea of what it will bein the movement of life.”
Reflecting more than ever the excellence so dear to the House of Dior, this fascinating anthology, published by Editions Rizzoli and enriched with singular illustrations – from the Dior Autumn-Winter 2020-2021 ready-to-wear collection to the Miss Dior dress conceived especially for muse Natalie Portman in 2021 – can be discovered in bookstores from November 5, 2024.
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