Dior handbag. Image by Vanessa Friedman.
Forget the sense of nostalgia and farewell that pervaded Marc Jacobs’ sugar-sweet Louis Vuitton show, the clothes full of couture constructions as if an audition for a couture house; something happened yesterday at Christian Dior that had a very MJ-feel.
To be specific: the brand unveiled a new collaboration with the German artist Anselm Reyle that will be in-store for a limited time from January until March, and involved pop art-like neon camouflage and metallics on the famous Miss Dior bag, as well as little flats and wedges, some bangles, and even a makeup line.
The duet marks Dior’s first collaboration with an artist, — tie-ups with artists being very much a Marc Jacobs initiative at Louis Vuitton. Indeed, from Stephen Sprouse to Takashi Murakami to Richard Prince, Mr Jacobs’ work with the contemporary art world has re-invigorated the LV name, giving it an edge and collectability and cool it never had before.
It’s little surprise that Dior, traditionally more known for ready-to-wear than accessories, would like Mr Jacobs to create a similar phenomenon for it, and in a way, this seems like a subtle message that it is ready.
As it happens, the driving force behind the Dior/Reyle partnership was Delphine Arnault (she owns some of Mr Reyle’s work). Ms Arnault, deputy general manager of Dior Couture, is also reportedly one of the most vocal proponents of moving Mr Jacobs to Dior, an eventuality that is looking more and more likely.
Though it’s not quite in the bag.
Vanessa has been the FT’s fashion editor since 2003, and is based in New York, though she lived in London for 12 years.