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Last season, Maria Grazia Chiuri made her debut as Dior’s first female creative director with a “We Should All Be Feminists” t-shirt that took the fashion world by storm. For the fashion house’s Spring 2018 show today, the designer continued her message of women’s empowerment with a new theme and statement-making tee.
The show opened with a model wearing a black-and-white striped t-shirt reading, “WHY HAVE THERE BEEN NO GREAT WOMEN ARTISTS?” Initially, viewers on Twitter (and even some of those attending the actual show) were a little confused by this bold question. As blogger Bryan Boy asked on Instagram Stories, “I guess Frida Kahlo is either a man or not great…?”
did Dior really include Linda Nochlin’s seminal text “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” as show notes??? pic.twitter.com/H7hkNYkqqP
— into the goth (@DMNCDLQ) September 26, 2017
But the statement in question is actually the title of a 1971 essay penned by Linda Nochlin, which explores the topic of feminist art history. The essay explores the history of women having a difficult time achieving success in the arts—a fitting statement to make in an industry that is still predominantly controlled by men at the top. Chiuri is the first-ever woman creative director in Dior’s 70-year history, so the statement makes all the more sense. Show notes left on guest’s seats reveal Chiuri was inspired by Nochlin’s feminist theory for Spring 2018. “It is necessary to give these different and specific artists their due for it’s they who break the mold of the traditionally male discourse in art history, and in fashion,” the designer wrote.
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The day before the show, Dior took to Instagram to share some behind-the-scenes inspiration for Chiuri’s collection, which merges both art and fashion. In one video posted, Chiuri poses the question, “Is there a ‘feminine art’ as opposed to a ‘masculine art?’ No. I don’t think so at all. There are female artists in many fields. Certainly, they’re not as numerous for reasons that have nothing to do with capability. Each story is specific to a person, it’s not specific to that person’s gender. Each woman has something to say.”
Last season’s “We Should All Be Feminists” t-shirt donated a portion of proceeds to Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, so hopefully Dior plans to add a charitable component to its new “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists” t-shirt as well.
In the meantime, plan to see this tee take over the street style scene.
From: Harper’s BAZAAR US
