Dior Collaborates with Ghanaian Painter Amoako Boafa for Its Latest Men's Collection
For Dior’s latest menswear collection, Kim Jones teamed up with Ghana-born Vienna-trained artist Amoako Boafo in an exploration and celebration of African diaspora.
Certainly timely with increased sentiments around the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States, but Jones has had a longstanding connection to African art and culture, where he had spent his childhood growing up in different parts of Africa - Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya, and more.
The seeds of the collaboration were sown earlier in 2019, where Jones met Boafa at the Rubell Museum in Miami, where both found that they had a mutual admiration for each other’s work. Jones turned to Boafa to open the windows to a contemporary Africa lifestyle, specifically Ghana with a rich textile history, onto the craftsmanship of Dior.
Boafa’s Black Diaspora portraits are explorations into identity and perceptions of blackness. He captures intimate portraits of friends, family in a mix of collages and paintings that come deeply textured and with a rich colour palette, to produce deeply intimate and striking imagery and an artistic expression of black beauty and culture.
This vision has been transposed onto garments, with near surreal hues, from blue, coral, green to prints and vibrant prints. Embroidered sweaters are a lively expression of the rich texture of Boafo’s tactile finger-painting technique, and the semi-sheer shirts mimic his brushwork. Accompanying these masterpieces included accessories from the Dior saddle bag to dad sandals to berets.
As the pandemic renders the usual way of fashion week a hazard, designers have been forced to get creative with their collection showings. Dior’s Spring Summer ‘21 menswear showcase begins with a film shot in London, and Boafa’s studio in Ghana, recorded by video artist Chris Cunningham, described as the “crossroads of contemporary art and documentary,” with a second unveiling of Kim Jones' creations, directed by Jackie Nickerson.
It is also noteworthy to mention that the entire collection is modelled only by black models. And in bids to highlight their commitment to celebrating the work of young artists, the house of Dior will also lend its support to an art initiative spearheaded in Ghana by Boafa for the creation of a place of residence for young artists.
This season sees a heavier use of sportswear is combined with couture level tailoring of Dior, and an increased focus on a cinched waist this season, for a chic, elongated silhouette. Check out the entire collection here:
