Dior – The Le Costantine Foundation

As part of the focus on Puglia – as both inspiration and savoir-faire source – the Dior Cruise 2021 collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri saw a collaboration with Fondazione Le Costantine for the production of specially woven two-color textiles.

Founded in 1982 by sisters Giulia and Lucia Starace, together with their cousin, Lucia De Viti de Marco – prolonging the spirit and convictions of their mothers – the Le Costantine Foundation aims to promote and dynamize the Puglia region by preserving its living heritage through the teaching of traditional crafts and responsible culture.

Set in an enchanting Mediterranean setting, this institution, which celebrates a sense of hospitality, respect for nature and the transmission of the beauty of the gesture, embodies values that Maria Grazia Chiuri holds dear and are now more essential than ever.

Christened “Amando e Cantando“, the Le Costantine atelier pays tribute through its name to the traditional songs still sung today by women weavers perpetuating these textile arts, for generations, like an ode to the joie de vivre and creative passion that drives them. The site houses the precious looms on which these fabrics come to life using ancestral techniques.

Highlighted in the 2021 Cruise show, these delicate weaves – mainly bi-color designs – are displayed on various pieces in the collection, while the atelier’s motto* is embroidered on a series of skirts, echoing this excellence.

^{*“Amando e Cantando” meaning “Loving and Singing.”}

Photo by © Antonio Maria Fantetti

Credits: © Courtesy of Christian Dior Couture