Continuing his partnerships with culturally-relevant artists who prioritize storytelling through their crafts, Dior Men‘s Artistic Director Kim Jones‘ Summer 2021 collection is a collaborative work with Ghana born and Vienna-trained visual artist, Amoako Boafo. The two met last year at the Rubell Museum in Miami and the connection was immediately palpable, with both artists and visionaries sharing a mutual love and respect for the other’s work. The partnership is particularly meaningful for Jones, who spent a large portion of his childhood in African countries like Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana, calling the colorful continent his home, with its nature and its people being a constant source of inspiration and connection for him. Those sources of inspiration are also included in each of the pieces for this collection with Boafo, who reflects the contemporary African lifestyle in his works, exploring in depth the concept of “black masculinity,” now shown in garments. Colors like fluo yellow, blue, coral and green are pulled from Boafo’s work into pieces from the collection, as well as prints from graphic patterns that he is known for, such as jacquard patterns with the look of a painted canvas. Embroideries, knitwear and intarsia make appearances in the collection, sourced from Boafo’s work, while Dior motifs/codes do as well, such as the Dior Oblique embroidery on tulle and embroideries by Atelier Vermont from Dior’s archive, as well as the perfect tailoring with “silhouettes [that] are narrow, streamlined [and] sportswear-influenced”. A video debuts the collection, featuring a dialogue on artistry in various forms—fashion, painting, film and more—with Boafo explaining his work and how it intersects with fashion. The two-part film also unveils the collection in the second part—directed by Jackie Nickerson—highlighting Dior’s commitment to young artists, something that Monsieur Dior valued, for which he set the original precedent. Scroll to see some key looks, video stills and the full video, below.
Photo Credit: Jackie Nickerson/Dior 
Photo Credit: Jackie Nickerson/Dior
Photo Credit: Jackie Nickerson/Dior
Photo Credit: Jackie Nickerson/Dior
Photo Credit: Jackie Nickerson/Dior 
Photo Credit: Jackie Nickerson/Dior
Photo Credit: Chris Cunningham/Dior
Photo Credit: Chris Cunningham/Dior
Photo Credit: Chris Cunningham/Dior 
Photo Credit: Chris Cunningham/Dior 
Photo Credit: Chris Cunningham/Dior
