When the Lady Dior bag was unveiled by the maison in 1995, it was an overnight style triumph. It was covetable, practical and instantly recognisable from its square silhouette to the ‘cannage’ stitching — inspired by the Napoleon III chairs upon which Christian Dior would seat his guests during couture shows.
This season, Dior has given the bag a new look, fusing its classic shape with colour palettes and bold patterns imagined by seven contemporary artists.
From December 10, Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates boutique will house Lady Dior bags created by Mat Collishaw, Ian Davenport, Marc Quinn and Jason Martin from the United Kingdom and Matthew Porter, Chris Martin and Daniel Gordon from the United States.
The artists were given free rein to put their personal stamp on a signature bag, clutch and silk scarf in the limited edition line, which will only be exhibited in six countries worldwide. Respected photographer, painter, sculptor and installation artist Collishaw embraced Dior’s brief with gusto and created pieces inspired by nature.
“I knew that I wanted something that was exquisite and had texture,” says 50-year-old Collishaw. “So, I went for a series of works that were essentially colour punched into dark backgrounds — bodies of moths and butterflies. I started putting those images on the shape of the bag, trying to find a composition that worked, then we printed them onto various materials — velvet and leathers.”
High-definition butterflies-in-flight adorn the glazed leather of Collishaw’s Lady Dior bags, offset by black velvet eyelets and charms spelling out the brand’s name.
“I like looking at images that are about the real world,” he says. “People and trees — that’s the stuff we’ve been looking at for millions of years. The fact that we’re hard-wired to scan things means I’m more attracted to representational art than I am to abstract art.”
A key figure in the important generation of British artists who emerged from London’s Goldsmith’s College in the late 1980s, Collishaw’s work has been exhibited widely internationally. Known for his thought-provoking, often contentious pieces, his art can be found in numerous public collections including the Georges Pompidou in Paris and London’s Tate.
Collishaw found a pleasing symmetry in creating designs for the Lady Dior range, having long-admired the talents of the maison’s late founder.
“I’m familiar with the brand and I’ve got a couple of suits by Dior,” he says, “I think he (Christian Dior) was very precise. Economy was important for the shape and design of a dress, but he also made outfits with quite a lot of volume in the 1950s.”
His first fashion commission complete, it’s back to the day job for Collishaw. Upcoming projects and exhibitions will demand his attention in the new year, when it won’t be uncommon to find him burning the midnight oil.
“I don’t really live the romantic myth of the artist, but sometimes, when the sun goes down — then you can get a little magic moment when you’re working on something.” he says, “I’m kind of in a different zone, where it’s quite enchanting and you’re not dealing with other people — it’s just you and the thing you’re making.”
For more information go to www.dior.com
rduane@thenational.ae
Company%20profile
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THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
The five pillars of Islam
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
WISH
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
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KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The%C2%A0specs%20
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Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
BMW%20M4%20Competition
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Christopher Robin
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Peter Capaldi
Three stars
