Isabella Ducrot creates a series of colossal dress installations for the Dior SS2024 fashion show

During Paris Fashion Week, Dior presented its haute couture collection for spring-summer 2024, set against the striking Big Aura installation by textile artist Isabella Ducrot. The scene was dominated by twenty-three colossal dress sculptures, each standing at five meters tall, arrayed amidst a pattern of irregular black stripes that evoked the texture of woven fabric. These towering creations drew on the regal garb of Ottoman emperors, abstractly symbolizing the distinctiveness and spirit of haute couture.

Isabella Ducrot’s artistic work (discover more here) harmonized with the vision of Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s Creative Director for women’s collections, who aimed to encapsulate the mystical quality of haute couture that is deeply ingrained in the brand’s heritage. Ducrot’s exaggerated dress forms are a tribute to the architectural influence that has been a hallmark of the French fashion house, echoing the iconic styles introduced by Christian Dior in the 1950s.

In homage to Dior’s storied past (learn more here), Chiuri brought back the famed La Cigale Dress, celebrated for its voluminous skirt and complex layering, and reinterpreted it for a series of modern ensembles. The installation’s dresses, arrayed in hues of gold, white, and vivid red and embellished with fine embroidery, echoed the new collection’s pieces. These were set against the stark contrast of the black-and-white geometric backdrop. The interplay of color, form, and historical motifs culminated in an enthralling display that encapsulated Dior’s perpetual influence in the realm of haute couture.