4 Asian Creatives Weave Culture Into the Lady Dior

4 Asian Creatives Weave Culture Into the Lady Dior

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In the ninth Lady Dior Art project, four artists from China, Vietnam, and South Korea take the Lady Dior for a cultural and personal spin

The Lady Dior was never meant to be just another accessory—it was a gift, first placed in the Princess of Wales’ hands in 1995, and from that moment, it became legend. But even icons must evolve. In the ninth edition of the Lady Dior Art project, four Asian creatives breathe life into its form, weaving whispers of their heritage and creative identity into the iconic emblem.

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Liang Yuanwei

Chinese artist Liang Yuanwei; Photo courtesy of WENQINGAO LEI

While some artists capture a moment, Liang Yuanwei captures time itself. The Chinese artist known for her textured, time-infused designs on canvas breathes life into the Lady Dior, drawing inspiration from her Golden Notes series. Green resin blooms on the bag, creating a tactile play of materials reminiscent of crackled ceramics and memories of the Song dynasty. With antique gold finishes that echo the ancient Ru and handles that evoke jade, her reinterpretation is history reborn.

Bag molded in resin through 3D printing
Inspired by crackled ceramics

Duy Anh Nhan Duc

Vietnamese artist Duy Anh Nhan Duc; Photo courtesy of MARION BERRIN

Vietnamese creative Duy Anh Nhan Duc speaks the language of nature. In his design, he captures a lush, poetic garden caught mid-breath. His Lady Dior celebrates the beauty of the vegetal world, with vegan leather embossed with intricate floral motifs. Gilded metal branches and hidden dandelion suspended in resin make his bag feel like a secret talisman—just as he had intended.

A reinterpretation reflecting his passion for horticulture
Finished gilded metal

Woo Kukwon

South Korean artist Woo Kukwon; Photo courtesy of JUNGWOO PARK

South Korean creative Woo Kukwon, known for his mischievous, surrealist touch, turns the Lady Dior into a storybook of innocence and irony. Each of his five designs carries a different tale.

The words “My universe” are read—a homage to Woo’s daughter
Depicts wife and daughter strolling beneath cherry trees

One bag captures his wife, daughter, and dog under a starry sky. Another lets cherry blossoms bloom onto its handles and eyelets. A darker twist appears on a third: a polar bear embroidered with the haunting phrase “Killing me softly.” A mini bag drapes in cascading pearls that mimic the texture of fur, while a micro version bathes in dark beads. As a final wink, his dog appears as a tiny charm, a little token of home for Woo. 

Features a polar bear and the words “Killing me softly”
Embellished with vines of pearls
Beaded Dior name

Huang Yuxing

Chinese artist Huan Yuxing; Photo courtesy of WENQINGAO LEI

Beijing-born Huan Yuxing’s versions of the bag glow. Fiery orange and deep blue colors reflect his Heaven and Earth series, where day and night exist as twin flames. Gold-finished details nod to the precision of Chinese goldsmithing, while iridescent sequins shimmer like the galaxy. One bag is pure sci-fi, and the other is a child of the ‘60s, as if the future and past have collided in a single stroke.

Bag 1
Bag 2
Bag 3
Bag 4

What was once a symbol of sleek Western luxury now carries stories of the personal and cultural, challenging what we thought we knew about both the bag and high fashion itself.


Photos: MARION BERRIN, PIERRICK PATARIN, WENQINGAO LEI, JUNGWOO PARK

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