Limited edition Lady Dior Handbags by artists around the world

 This year’s Dior Lady Art project is blending high fashion with spiritual significance through a line of meticulously designed bags.

The ninth installment of this  project sets the stage for artists to reinterpret the iconic Lady Dior bag as a medium for profound storytelling. Participants were encouraged to delve into themes such as the environment, ancestral connections, and sacred symbols, transforming an ordinary accessory into a canvas for deeper artistic expression.

Dior has enlisted four talented artists based in the United States for this edition, which will see its debut on November 7 at the brand’s historic flagship store on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, as well as at the Plaza 66 mall in Shanghai. Following this pre-launch, the bags will be made available globally in select stores throughout November and December.

Among the featured artists is Jeffrey Gibson, returning for a second year, along with Vaughn Spann, Danielle McKinney, and the late Faith Ringgold, who sadly passed away in April at 93, before many of her collaborative pieces with Dior could be unveiled.

They are joined by Duy Anh Nhan Duc from Paris, Turkish artist Hayal Pozanti, and Canadian Anna Weyant, all of whom currently reside in the U.S.; Chinese artists Liang Yuanwei and Huang Yuxing; Sara Flores from Peru; and South Korean artist Woo Kukwon.

In total, the project features 30 distinctive limited-edition styles, with prices ranging from 7,000 to 25,000 euros, showcasing luxury that resonates with artistic integrity.

The creations by Nhan Duc and Weyant were initially revealed at the “L’Or de Dior” exhibition held in Beijing this past September. Further insights into the project will be teased at the upcoming “Art ‘N Dior” exhibition set to take place in Shanghai next month.

The materials used in these unique designs vary significantly, with some pieces featuring sculpted and cast metal flowers as seen in Weyant’s all-gold design—a tribute to Dior’s best-selling J’adore fragrance. Others, like the handbag designed by Flores, utilize pineapple leather, woven into patterns that reflect Kené art—a distinctive form of geometric art unique to the Shipibo-Conibo women of Peru.

Each bag features a lining crafted from a coarse cotton fabric known as tocuyo, which is hand-painted using natural dyes derived from plants.

“My creative process is deeply connected to the jungle that surrounds me. Being Indigenous brings a profound sense of responsibility towards life, nature, and all its creatures,” Flores shared in a question-and-answer feature with Dior. “Through my art, I aim to create pathways into the spiritual realm.”

Nhan Duc reflects a similar love for nature, stemming from his childhood in Ho Chi Minh City, where he would frequently walk barefoot and embrace the elements. “Back then, the streets were not paved, and during monsoon storms, it was a joy to shower under the rain gutters,” he reminisced in an interview with WWD.

After relocating to France at the age of ten, he briefly lost sight of that connection, but his artistic journey has been anchored in a celebration of the natural world. “I have a passion for collecting plants, something my daughters also enjoy. I’ll often find myself on my knees, right in the middle of a busy roundabout, completely absorbed in nature while cars honk in confusion,” he laughed.

Nhan Duc is renowned for his installations utilizing dried dandelions, and his collaboration with Dior marks his first venture into creating a product. For his bag, he produced a plaster cast by imprinting soil with plants and a wire mesh, which the Dior team then translated into leather using a vegan apple leather and embroidered plant fibers, highlighted with a touch of gilding.

The handbags incorporate charms that are metallic representations of seeds, including samara, clover, and poppy, with the interiors housing a transparent acrylic drop that encapsulates an actual dandelion egret—designed to serve as a talisman of luck.

“I hope it serves as a lucky seed. Personally, it has brought me much luck during my creative journey,” Nhan Duc said. “The significance of the object lies in your perception. If you believe a four-leaf clover brings luck, it will. The positive energy directed toward an object can cultivate its magical properties.”

Gibson portrays a unique blend of Native American craftsmanship and vibrant pop aesthetics in his Lady Dior bag, accentuating it with 70 3D-printed heart padlocks—a nod to the love locks adorning bridges in Paris.

His inspiration stems from a previous punching bag sculpture he crafted in 2017, titled ‘Love is the Drug,’ echoing a song by Grace Jones. The surface of the bag is also adorned with a variety of heart charms crafted from different materials, embodying themes of love.

“The other side of the bag is entirely beaded, with the word ‘love’ intricately repeated throughout,” he explained. “My artistic work often revisits the concept of love, which is layered and complex, reflecting the trials and depth of human relationships. This Lady Dior piece embodies that multifaceted concept of love.”