When guests arrived at Dior’s spring-summer 2020 couture show held at the Musee Rodin in Paris, France on Monday they were greeted by banners posing such huge questions as “Would God be a feminist?” and “What if women ruled the world?” American artist Judy Chicago, whose The Dinner Party remains one of the most profound pieces of feminist art, was invited by Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri to collaborate on the show’s set. According to the designer’s press release, the immersive experience, titled The Female Divine was made to “reconsider the roles and power relationships that determine, through the lens of gender, the way we live together today.” This isn’t the first time Chiuri utilized the runway as social commentary; She referenced Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay and TEDx talk in 2017 with a viral t-shirt, which benefited Rihanna’s non-profit organization.
Dior’s SS20 collection takes a more subtle approach in sartorially exploring the subject, alternating from draped gowns inspired by Athena and a “neo-platonic allegory of beauty,” to menswear sets. One suit is literally cut with a heroic cape trailing behind the model.
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