Dior’s AW20 feminist set explored issues of consent – under a neon glow

Milan Fashion Week ended under a cloud as the Coronavirus arrived in Italy, but in Paris, it is business as usual as fashion houses take over the city’s landmarks for Fashion Week.

Dior kickstarted off its five-year-long partnership with Musee Louvre by setting up shop in the Jardins des Tuileries for its feminist-inspired AW20 show, with stages designed by collective artist Claire Fontaine.

The Paris-based feminist collective artist occupies a singular, third-person feminine position, and describes herself as a ‘ready-made artist’. Claire Fontaine co-opts existing slogans and indicators to question reality and the role, power, pressures and issues that women face – establishing a powerful, feminist tone for the collection.

The stage was built inside a specially-constructed, temporary volume erected over the gardens’ octagonal fountain. Located next to Place de la Concorde, the space is separate from the Espace Éphémère des Tuileries.

Claire Fontaine papered the floors of the setting with newspaper covers and illuminated it with the neon glow of her typographic manifestos suspended from its ceilings and walls.

The installation is part of Dior’s new partnership with the Musee Louvre to finance the restoration and landscaping of the historic French gardens over the next five years – part of the brand’s broader commitment to tackling environmental issues.

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