On the first day of Paris Haute Couture Week, Maria Grazia Chiuri immerses herself in Roaring 20s Paris in the footsteps of Josephine Baker at the Musée Rodin.
What importance should be attached to a haute couture collection? In addition to the celebration of craftsmanship and the talent of the workshops, the parade has a language. On display as usual in the gardens of the Rodin Museum is Maria Grazia Chiuri’s invitation to Josephine Baker in the 1920s. It honors the Franco-American artist, the music hall star, the resister, the black woman. “Symbolic and glamorous, it embodies the modernity of those years, underlines the note of the parade’s intention, beyond stereotypes and prejudices, in this mix of cultures and shared experiences that animated, in particular, the global cabaret.” Illustrated in shades of black, gray, white, silver and gold, the desired colors associated with the freedom fighter and the artist’s “energy” derived from the black and white images of the time, this collection of coats, sheer dresses. long dresses and suits are inspired by the dancer’s personal wardrobe. And the work of Christian Dior?
The pace
Clothes mainly focus their speech on movement. Thus, in satin we see robe coats, crumpled or covered with velvet, revealing delicate undergarments. The dresses are numerous, long, very delicate embroidery, small silver studs, ruffles, fringes swirling with each step of the models, mostly with high-heeled suede sandals and platform soles. This parade is welcomed in a mural performance designed by Michaelen Thomas. The African-American artist has hung huge portraits on the walls, embroidered by Chanakya Workshops and the Chanakya School of Craft, including Nina Simone, supermodels Dionial Luna and Naomi Sims, and Dorothy Dandridge, the first African-American woman, among others. nominated for the best actress Oscar. “These women have broken many barriers in television, film, fashion and social activism,” explained Michaelen Thomas.
Source: Le Figaro
