Sanremo 2023: the story behind all Dior’s looks worn by Chiara Ferragni

During the first evening of the 73rd edition of the Sanremo Festival, co-host Chiara Ferragni wore no less than four custom-made dresses designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior. The Italian designer has been the creative head of the famous French Maison since 2016. It is well known that Chiara has always been linked to this fashion house. In fact, Dior has been able to tell many moments of the Italian digital entrepreneur’s personal and professional life.

But let’s return to the looks worn during the first evening of the kermesse canora. The aim from the outset was to bring to Sanremo not only spectacular dresses, but dresses capable of conveying the message of female empowerment. All the Dior dresses worn by Chiara were the result of an interesting conversation with Maria Grazia Chiuri.

The story of the dresses designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Chiara Ferragni…

The first dress, of all, is the one that most represents the feminist conversation that took place with Maria Grazia Chiuri and Rachele Regini of Dior, then Fulvia Carnevale who is part of the feminist artistic duo Claire Fontaine. Made of black silk, the dress is inspired by the Monsieur Dior tradition and is completed by a white stole. The latter, like a manifesto, is embroidered with the claim ‘Think Free’. These simple yet powerful words come from a work by Claire Fontaine. The message is to inspire all women to feel free to step out of that role imposed on them by society. These words represent Chiara Ferragni, who struggles daily not to be enclosed in a space defined for her by the patriarchy.

The second dress reproduces the features of Chiara’s body through trompe l’oeil embroideries handmade by Dior’s Haute Couture workers. The greatest desire is to change the negative idea of the woman’s body, to bring to the Ariston stage the emancipation of the body itself through Chiara’s body. About 7 fittings were made to reach the final result, an almost surgical operation was performed. Thus the body finally seems to be free of the shame imposed by society, starting with Eva, the first woman in history induced to feel shame.

The third dress brings to the stage of the Ariston Theatre some of the criticisms levelled at Chiara on her appearance, her body and above all on the freedom to feel like a woman (as well as a mother). The phrases of contempt were embroidered in black pearls and are the real insults that the haters direct at the photos posted on Instagram by Chiara. This peplum dress, almost like a blank page, becomes a tale of daily fruitless contempt. Embroidering insults on a dress is like letting the negative comments slide over you, and urging women not to let haters get you down, it is the opinions of those who love us that really count.

The fourth dress comes from an idea and research done personally by Maria Grazia Chiuri. It is inspired by a work, which is actually a performance by the artist Jana Sterbak, and plays on the role of the cage and the freedom of women. In fact, the skirt in the shape of a cage seems reminiscent of the paniers in which women were locked and forced in the 18th and 19th centuries. The dress consists of two pieces, a stretch jersey jumpsuit completely embroidered with rhinestones, and a wide skirt. Thus, the message is to free the new generation of women from the gender stereotypes in which they feel caged.

THE FOUR DIOR LOOKS – OBV DESIGNED BY MARIA GRAZIA CHIURI – WORN BY CHIARA FERRAGNI DURING THE FIRST EPISODE OF THE SANREMO FESTIVAL