It is fascinating to watch the interpretations of the recent events, their impact on humanity as well as on fashion trends by leading fashion houses. One of the aspects is the ideas – the theme of the show, another aspect is the transfer of the shows to virtual platforms. Covid has not only accelerated the existing trends in fashion, but also created a digital transformation of the shows and boosted creativity of the fashion houses.
Tarot iconography inspired Haute Couture collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri was no exception. Presented in a truly different format of a mini film directed by Matteo Garrone, the collection was inspired by the famous medieval Visconti-Sforza tarot decks. Maria has explained the idea behind the show with the emotional impacts of the pandemic encouraging people to look deeper inside themselves and their lives and mysticism and tarot being something that can help to find answers in such difficult times.
The fashion house has some ties with the tarot theme via the founder Christian Dior. He has sought help from tarot cards during the circumstances around his Sister Catherine being in concentration camp during the Second World War. Currently Chiuri is participating in research for the book about Catherine Dior.
Monsieur Dior has developed an interest in tarot cards since and was known to be very superstitious in general, visiting tarot reading before his shows.
There is another influence of Maria in this collection which is her Italian roots. She has studied the history of the very first known Visconti-Sforza deck back in Milan.
The story of the film is about a young lady who is transferred to a journey to the magical medieval Italian castle during her tarot reading and comes across different tarot characters, which represent her subpersonalities and her inner world. There are controversial characters such as High Priestess, Temperance, Justice and Death as well as Masculine and Feminine Identities. There are 15 figures in the film which are inspired by the iconography of the famous deck.
The collection is rich with Renaissance style high-waist corsets, brocade robes, long plissé dresses and weightless organza sleeves which resemble wings, which all flow into atmosphere of mystery and esoteric.
Photo by: Elina Kechicheva
The make-up artists and hairstylists have added special notes to the film by creating elf-like looks, with visually lifting up the tips of the lips and invisible enlarging eye make-up along with colorful hair of the main characters.
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