Fit for a Lady

In the eighth edition of the Dior Lady Art initiative, 12 artists from across the globe turn the maison's iconic bag into objets d'art. Among them is figurative painter Hilary Pecis, whose beaded iteration is a gardenscape inspired by her childhood

- Nafeesa Saini

When it comes to timeless fashion artefacts, few hold the distinction of Dior's iconic bag, Lady Dior. Its debut is the stuff of legends: in 1995, during the opening of French artist Paul Cézanne's retrospective in the Grand Palais in Paris, Bernadette Chirac, the then-first lady of France, presented Princess Diana a unique Dior bag. At the time, it was known as the Chouchou and was accessible to only a select few.

Later that same year, during an official visit to Argentina, the then-Princess of Wales was photographed disembarking from a plane in Buenos Aires and clutching a black patent leather iteration of the bag. Sartorial history was made. The accessory became her go-to bag and synonymous with her style. In 1996, it was officially christened Lady Dior, as a tribute to Princess Diana's influence.

Today, Lady Dior continues to stand as a loyal symbol of the enduring legacy of both the house and Monsieur Christian Dior. Its boxy and structured silhouette, along with the signature Cannage topstitching, pays homage to the Napoleon-era chairs found in the maison's couture salon, while the charms that adorn the rounded top handles, which come in gold or silver and spell out the name "Dior", nod to the lucky charms cherished by Monsieur Dior himself.

Among the numerous iterations of Lady Dior over the decades, the artistic interpretations from the Dior Lady Art initiative are by far the most inventive. Inaugurated in 2016 by the maison's creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, the annual project is an homage to the house's deep-rooted connection with the art world as well as its dedication to artistry and cultural appreciation.