Celebrating the fascinating universe of the divinatory arts which Monsieur Dior was so fond of, the Christian Dior Spring 2021 Haute Couture collection explores the symbolic magic and pluralistic beauty of the tarot cards cherished by Maria Grazia Chiuri.

At the heart of the film Le Château du Tarot, directed by Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone, the virtuoso creations by turns evoke the major arcana, manifest proof that couture remains the ultimate territory of experimentation and possibility.

A series of extraordinary evening gowns features abstract constructions, some with veritable bas-relief openwork bodices punctuated with illustrations by Pietro Ruffo. In this spirit, the Roman artist created a singular deck of cards in which characters disclose the graphic energy of the symbols. Dior gray appears in tweed, cashmere and organza on shirts, skirts, pants and capes. Meanwhile, the Bar jacket is revisited in black velvet, its curves reinterpreted to express a new attitude.

In his staging of these haute couture creations, Matteo Garrone, one of Italy’s most high-profile directors, builds on the narrative iconography by drawing on the visual force of the Visconti-Sforza tarot. Decorated by the illuminator Bonifacio Bembo for the Duke of Milan in the 15th century, this tarot deck illustrates the marvelous tale of this collection. Splendid cards embellished in gold, enamel, and vegetal and geometric interlacing have a solemn and enigmatic presence, revealing an inner journey, like an adventure of self-discovery. A voyage to the heart of a castle populated by characters embodying the major arcana who question and disorient, inviting the viewer to look at the world from a new perspective. In the director’s interpretation, this quest surpasses gender boundaries, presenting a synthesis of masculine and feminine in a new heraldic mythology evoking the enchanted worlds Matteo Garrone loves.

Step inside the penumbrous halls of ‘Le Château du Tarot’, the fantastical setting for the atmospheric film that unveiled the Dior Haute-Couture Spring-Summer 2021 collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri, and listen as director Matteo Garrone speaks about the experience of shooting his sophomore cinematic work for the House.