“We should all be feminists” – read a t-shirt at Maria Grazia Chiuri’s debut show as creative director of Dior womenswear, presented in September 2016. It was a garment that would prove to be a harbinger of the Italian designer’s tenure at the French fashion house so far – on the one hand, her collections have been infused with a celebration of strong, creative femininity and, on the other hand, the quote above came from a book by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a precursor to the wide-ranging collaborations with female artists who followed.

It is in this spirit that a new exhibition opens at La Galerie Dior, the house’s recently inaugurated museum at 30 Avenue Montaigne (opened 75 years after Christian Dior presented his first collection there, the renovated hôtel particulier also houses a huge new iconic shop, restaurant and luxury private suite where VIP shoppers can stay overnight). The exhibition celebrates Dior’s ongoing collaboration with women artists – particularly under Chiuri – as well as notable figures from the house’s history. As with all Dior works, the exhibition is rooted in the life and design philosophy of the house’s founder. In this case, the exhibition recalls Christian Dior’s own love for art, having started his career as a gallerist. Art, design, music and literature would continue to enrich his collections until his death in 1957.

The exhibition explores the work of numerous artists who have collaborated with Grazia Chiuri, including Eva Jospin, Brigitte Lacombe and Katerina Jebb – their various works reflect the designer’s collections. Rounding out the exhibition are different versions of the Lady Dior bag, created by female artists as part of the house’s Lady Art project.

The exhibition will run from November 24, 2023 to May 13, 2024 at La Galerie Dior, Paris.

Photography by Adrien Dirand, courtesy of Dior