Though we’ve seen an influx of It-bags in recent years, Lady Dior’s legacy remains unmatched in prestige and history, and it’s not difficult to see why. The maison’s emblematic design features a structured squarish shape—later re-imagined in longer east-west formats and in different sizes by the house—dangling charms on the handle and its signature Cannage stitching on the body of the bag. The Lady Dior is timeless elegance embodied, counting namesake royal Princess Diana, Blackpink’s Jisoo and more as its fans.
But while this respect for tradition and the classics are key house codes at Dior, the label is adamant on innovation and fostering talent. Enter: Lady Dior As Seen By, an initiative by Dior that invites creatives around the globe to reinvent the titular design. The original has seen new additions like rhinestones and colourful embroidery, and handles swapped out for strings of shells by such artists. These creations are being displayed at the Lady Dior House exhibition, which is on tour in Singapore till 11 August.
Joining the lineup for Lady Dior As Seen By? Prolific Singaporean artist Genevieve Chua, along with peers Samuel Xun and Grace Tan. Chua works primarily with abstraction, and natural elements are common motifs in her work.
Titled ‘Block Point’, the piece is a print that sees a black Lady Dior cast in aluminium suspended mid-air in a glass chamber. In the backdrop: a post-apocalyptic landscape of hills and a solitary tree against a dimming sky. This lifelessness is juxtaposed by the rays of light reflected in the watermarked surfaces of the glass chamber housing the Lady Dior, spotlighting its distinctive allure and the details Chua added such as the side opening and the tarnishing charms that punctuate the design.
In ‘Block Point’, Chua unveils her unique vision for the Lady Dior: a timeless symbol of grace evolving fluidly with time, evoking a rare ancient fossil trapped in amber.
We speak to Chua about her creative process for ‘Block Point’ below.
GRAZIA Singapore (GS): Congratulations on having an art piece commissioned for the Lady Dior House exhibition! Can you share more about how this collaboration with Dior started?
Genevieve Chua (GC): I was invited early this year to collaborate on making a print to make a conceptual or interpretive piece on the Lady Dior. The process has been nothing short of breezy, and open. I had free rein on the type of scene I wanted to recreate.
GS: The Lady Dior is a signature design from the brand. What about the Lady Dior resonates with you?
GC: Its boxy structure, Cannage motif and studded base spoke to me. I use a lot of geometry and rules of the grid in my practice. These rules are meant to be followed and broken simultaneously.
GS: Your artwork wove nature—a common motif in your work—and the timeless design of the Lady Dior together. How did this concept take shape in your mind?
GC: Dusk or dawn is a time of day where anything and everything can have a curious, romantic glow. I wanted to create a story around something residual surrounding that Lady Dior.
In the print, the mise en scene is of the Lady Dior emerges from a glass chamber, after the rain, leaving watermarks on the glass walls.
When I weave nature into the work, it is also about the unpredictable elements and leaving things in their true state, which is sometimes wild, unruly and therefore real. The quality of light and how it refracts on objects also changes the temperament of an image.
GS: Where do you usually derive your inspiration from? And how was your creative process different when working with fashion specifically?
GC: A lot from brutalist architecture, techno music, synth sounds. These days I derive much of my colour palette and inspiration from low res point-and-shoot photography too. I like a lot of variation and my interest range widely across music, sculpture and performance.
GS: Can you describe the process of putting this artwork together? What tools were involved?
GC: I used softwares Zbrush and Cinema4D, which were used to render the entire scene, object, and environment. And I used my iPhone 15 pro to 3D scan the original Lady Dior, to make sure I got the scale and proportions right. Other skills used thereafter were a discerning eye and a preference for a scene of mystery and serenity.
GS: You primarily work through abstraction, which typically leaves much of the artwork up to the viewer’s interpretation. Is this true for this piece as well, or are there particular emotions you wanted viewers to feel?
GC: I work primarily with abstraction in painting but with projects like these I make an exception and work in figuration. It’s a purely figurative piece with a short narrative, akin to a short story about a time in the future, at a particular time of day.
Working in abstraction is a lot like only leaving hints, clues and breadcrumbs and leaving things in an open-ended way. I can still work towards a focused result and maintain the width of the river, but this river meanders… If there is a word for that emotion!
GS: And finally, what’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?
GC: At the start of November, a series of my work ‘Breeze Blocks’ will feature at Art Collaboration Kyoto, under STPI gallery. I’m in the midst of mixing some cool hues of paint for these new works.
You can view Chua’s work at the Lady Dior House exhibition at 5 Jiak Kim Street, from 18 July to 11 August. Book your appointment here.
READ MORE
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The Story Behind The Iconic Lady Dior Handbag Named After Princess Diana