Elite Traveler January-February 2017

elite traveler JAN/FEB 2017 41

Abstract artist Ian Davenport based his handbag on his Colorfall paintings

The Lady Dior Project

GIUSEPPE FOR JENNIFER LOPEZ He’s known for his sexy shoes; she’s known for, well everything, including her killer sense of style. A collaboration between superstar Jennifer Lopez and designer Giuseppe Zanotti is exactly what the fashion world did not know they were waiting for. Zanotti says Lopez was “more than a muse, Jennifer was a great design partner.” The result: a capsule collection of six modern styles, with less glitz than you would expect from a performer. While the high-heeled gladiator sandals would be right at home on stage or walking the red carpet, there are several wearable sandals, and even a flat sandal plus wedge sneaker. Giuseppe for Jennifer Lopez sandal, $795, available online at giuseppezanottidesign. com

Building on the success of its collaboration with artist Marc Quinn last summer, Dior expands the Lady Dior Project by giving six artists total carte blanche to bring their art to the Lady Dior bag and accessories. The bag’s iconic shape and signature charms lend itself well to this type of collaboration; it’s instantly recognizable as Dior, but it serves as a blank canvas for the artists to explore different ways of interpreting their art. Each artist’s bag is wildly different and true to their art. Meeting a wide range of artist’s demands pushed Dior’s artisans to use innovative techniques. Mat Collishaw’s pieces are high-definition prints of butterflies on glazed leather. For Jason Martin, the house used a special technique to create curves up to ¾ inch on the leather to recreate his unique paintings that play with texture.

In his work, English abstract painter Ian Davenport takes syringes of paint and applies them vertically on aluminum or stainless steel panels, letting gravity spread and mix the paint at the bottom of the work. Below, Ian reproduced a sequence from his series of paintings Colorfall on the silver leather. The stripes of colors “melt” together at the bottom of the bag. The inside of the bag is a print Ian designed after his studio’s paint-splattered floor. Other artists who contributed to the Lady Dior Project include Matthew Porter, Chris Martin and Daniel Gordon. These bags will be revealed around the world – from Miami to London to Dubai. Available at Dior Lady Art Pop-Up Boutique until February 28, 201 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, California, US. dior.com

TAKE THREE/// LADY DIOR Perhaps a bit more “unlady-like” than traditional Dior, these abstract works are attention-grabbing and works of art in their own right.

IAN DAVENPORT $5,700 Colorfall

MATTHEW PORTER $5,700 Black and white motif

CHRIS MARTIN $5,700 Paleocene Sunset

Words: Kristen Shirley. Photo: Jake Curtis