When Maria Grazia Chiuri made her debut at Dior last year, the 'We Should All Be Feminists' T-shirt was the most talked about piece in her collection. A quote from an essay written by esteemed writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the politically-charged piece became an instant bestseller, worn by Dior girls including Jennifer Lawrence, Rihanna and Natalie Portman. It even sparked controversy when naysayers criticised Dior for not donating any money to women's charities (which the fashion house soon rectified) and no doubt inspired other designers to be more bold with their political stances, with slogan-mania hitting the catwalks.
Now, Chiuri has proven that she's not done with feminism yet, showing a new mantra-emblazoned tee for spring/summer 2018. Model Sasha Pivovarova opened yesterday's Dior show in a navy and white striped long-sleeved T-shirt, which read: 'Why Have There Been No Great Female Artists?' The slogan is a quote from an essay by art historian Linda Nochlin written in 1971, which accompanied the show notes left on seats. In the essay, Nochlin argued that there has been a lack of women recognised as leading artists throughout history, and was a landmark in art history at the time. The casting choice was poignant, too, as Pivovarova is an artist as well as a model.
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Elsewhere at the show, Chiuri was inspired by the late French-American sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle, whose mosaic-tiled work was referenced in the set as well as sequinned dresses, like the one worn by Adwoa Aboah. There were berets, like last season, but this time they were direct replicas of the veiled ones that De Saint Phalle wore. Chiuri's signature pretty sheer dresses with visible underwear trimmed with Christian Dior branding were also present, plus black and white checkerboard prints on coats and socks.
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