😍 Did you know that Dior unveiled, in 2020, a cruise collection made with Wax 100% made in Ivory Coast? No ? ... It went quite unnoticed with the COVID crisis.... But me, I followed the case! ... Come on ! I tell you! ... 😉
This is not the first time that a haute couture house has adorned its wax collections. But Dior still created a surprise in 2020.... On the edge of several wax ready-to-wear pieces from the Cruise 2020 collection – the 800 or so people invited to the show could easily read the words “Uniwax Special Edition Christian Dior – Guaranteed Real Wax Printed in Côte d'Ivoire ". A first for Dior, but especially for Uniwax, a subsidiary of the Dutch group Vlisco, based in the town of Yopougon, in Abidjan, since 1967. The show took place in Marrakech in April 2020, for this Cruise collection, which blew a wind from Africa on the Dior house! The red thread of this collection gave pride of place to African traditions.
Dior has worked in close collaboration with the Uniwax company in Côte d'Ivoire: all of the wax produced is imagined from cottons grown, spun and printed in Africa. Uniwax has, for the occasion, reinterpreted two motifs dear to the house: the toile de Jouy and the tarot cards, giving rise to a special edition around a 100% African wax.
This collection devotes vintage prints with an indigo base and colors such as ocher, khaki or sienna.
How did this story with African Wax begin ?
The story begins with Maria Grazia Chiuri, stylist and artistic director of women's collections at Dior, known for her commitment to cultural diversity and her feminist demands. She discovers the book Wax & Co., the book of Anne Grosfilley, (very very beautiful book! I recommend it to you 😉) anthropologist and specialist in textiles and fashion in Africa, in which she traces the history of wax and other African fabrics. She then declared: “I understood that wax is an eminently current and very powerful transcultural symbol. Its history spans three continents, but it remains above all emblematic of Africa, of the Pan-African culture and it is a symbol of a non-verbal language, vector of strong messages ..... I told myself that this fabric could be the entry point of my collection because it is able to bring together diverse traditions and cultures, in respect and living together. »
In November 2018, the stylist got in touch with Anne Grosfilley by submitting her idea to her.... Making wax, okay! But how ? “I suggested to him to work on an African product with a factory based in Africa – that of Uniwax, in this case. Uniwax respects ecological standards. Not to mention that it is the only company to ensure full traceability of its spun and woven cotton in Benin,” says Anne Grosfilley.
In February 2019, the anthropologist flew with the Dior team to Côte d'Ivoire, where they visited the Uniwax complex, which covers 10 hectares. The choice is immediately made. And Uniwax finds itself with an order to fulfill in less than two months !
And in April 2020 the parade takes place in Marrakech! Almost 2 years of journey to arrive at this Sumptuous Cruise collection...
💗 I find this collection just MAGNIFICENT! 🤗 Admire the beauty of these fabrics, and the richness of these outfits!
I hope you enjoyed this article and taught you something ?.... Please feel free to like and comment !
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