Fashion foresight...
Even when there are no more secrets, fashion remains a mystery. ~ Christian Dior
Christian Dior himself divulged in orphic advantage, known to have tarot cards read before each of his fashion shows. How befitting for Maria Grazia Chiuri, the first woman leading the creative side in the label’s 69-year history, to feature embellished tarot images in her 2018 Cruise collection for the House. While I imagine the decks he used were presumably traditional, Chiuri's choice of Motherpeace Tarot detailing strong female archetypes, more than half of whom are of color, foresee a feminist direction.
Recalling wisdom of ancient cultures and incorporating images of women leaders, the original cards created by Vicki Noble and Karen Vogel form a unique dialog, communicating a message to reach beyond the limitations of age, class, gender or race. This wild and ancient femininity linked to the magic of the earth springs to life in each rich applique and colorful-threaded embroidery on a canvas of southwestern sunsets and terracotta terrain.
A coiling skeleton encircled by a scaling snake emblazon the Death card as the opening look of the seasonal collection. “It’s not necessarily about physical death,” says Vogel. “[It’s about] the beauty of the shedding of the skin that a snake does, that we can transform our lives. It’s about transformation and renewal that’s really beneficial.”
Decorating fellow accessories for the season, the Wheel of Fortune adorns colossal scarf squares and pretty purses. The Wheel of Fortune advises to follow the flow of events. Physical moves, spiritual awakenings, or dramatically changing social patterns are always afoot, and these transformations need to be accepted.
The conversational skirt, done quite majestically with the Priestess of Wands, becomes an ardent illustration of a natural manager with the gift of promoting teamwork and divvying up tasks.
The High Priestess is a Major Arcana, or "trump" card, that represents human wisdom. The Five of Swords cautions against panic while the Tower card signals change is at hand, likely of the drastic sort.
Knowing all the details, the cards Chiuri chose seem aforethought.
Noble and Vogel researched the goddess-based cultures of indigenous peoples around the world to illustrate their distinctive round deck. “We put women back into history,” says Noble. Self-published in 1981 and hand-collating the first 5,000 decks, though the partners have sold more than 300,000, Motherpeace has remained somewhat esoteric.
Feel the powerful primitive vibes trending through Resort 2018? With the collection presented last May in the wilds of the Santa Monica Mountains now hitting boutiques worldwide, prepare for a unique immersion into this luxuriously mystical world. It's all about fashion foresight... xoxo-Sonya
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