Impressions of Mexico Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of Dior, remains deeply committed to the cause of women. For her latest cruise collection, she pays tribute to women of Mexico and their expressive elegance. Here she presents some of the Mexican women of today who have been a source of inspiration to her. Elina Chauvet in the patio of the Miroslava Lazcano in a chinampasubject. It requires a certain amount of Centro de la Imagen, in Mexico City (floating garden) in Xochimilco, courage to take on this type of project “The first time I saw Elina’s work was delegacione south of Mexico City while bucking stereotypes. People are often about 20 years ago, in Bologna. It had a “I love the idea of such a young woman surprised by her femininity, convinced that huge impact on me. With these red shoes fighting to preserve her country’s textile a smart woman doesn’t wear makeup. But arranged in a pattern, she is tackling traditions. She highlights the important she refuses to change, and is forging a suc- a subject that is sadly universal—violence role women play in Mexican society as the cessful career. This is, in fact, the common against women—in a language everyone guardians of cultural values. Without denominator among all these women: they can understand. I find her work deeply wanting to live in a museum, it seems es- never compromise in terms of their iden- moving, and I can only hope that it helps sential that we incorporate our memories tity, even though since birth they have been to bring about change all over the world. into our own visions of the present. It’s told that to achieve your goal and get Mexican women have a sort of built- important for me to reinterpret the past, to ahead, you have to change. It’s above all in sorority system. They fight for each make something new of it, to create, with- high time to change the way things are.” other and help one another. This attitude out forgetting my roots. Yet some coun- Born in 1979 in Ciudad Juárez. A politically resonates in my work, because for me, tries have completely lost this expertise. committed photojournalist, she works on in order to create, it’s vital to understand At Dior, we, too, have a hard time finding large-scale projects focusing on the social fabric the women of the world.” people who can still embroider for us.” of her country and its neighbors. Born in 1959 in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua. An Born in 1986 in Xochimilco. A weaver and artist, she is particularly known for her Zapatosembroiderer, she became famous as Mexico’s “Most Elena Reygadas at home, in Mexico Rojos installations in the streets of Mexico City, Beautiful Flower in the Land,” a beauty contest City “Don’t forget that I’m Italian . . . as well as in Italy, Norway, Spain, the UK and judged not on physical looks, but on elegance and Food is a passion! I am interested in Elena Chile. These accumulations on the ground of shoes culture, and for which contestants must create theirReygadas’ approach because she brings of women of all ages, all dipped in red paint, are own complete outfit. With this award, she has been a denunciation of the disappearance of women. able to regularly speak out alongside members of together the Mexican culinary tradition, a her community, together with the other “Flowers” quest for the most local ingredients and the Frida Escobedo at one of her con- from the city’s 16 delegaciones. She runs workshopsidea of the inherent pleasure of cooking. struction sites in Popotla, in Mexico and teaches traditional weaving and embroidery We are never very far away from what also techniques with the association Trama. She regularly City “Whether you’re working in fashion collaborates with Mexican fashion designers. drives fashion: pleasure in general, and or architecture, these worlds are very the pleasure of living well in particular.” difficult for women; historically, these are Elena Navarro in one of the inner Born in 1976 in Mexico City. She runs the sectors that have been occupied by men. courtyards of the Centro de la restaurants Rosetta and Lardo, and started up two But Frida, despite her youth, has managed Imagen, in Mexico City “I met Elena bakeries in Mexico City. She wants to promote the to impose her vision. And she does it with- several years ago, as I wanted to work cuisine of the various Mexican states, while adhering out losing any of her femininity. I also love with Mexican photographer Graciela to the global locavore movement. She grows her produce on a chinampa on the canals of Xochimilco. how she uses materials. Her minimalist Iturbide, a friend of hers. Elena is Spanish, In 2014, she was named Latin America’s best female style is somewhat reminiscent of Luis but she has been immersed in Latin Amer- chef and is currently writing a cookbook. Barragán’s purity; in this she intelligently ica culture for so long that she is “nearly” combines function and decoration, creat- from there. Perceptive and curious, she Clyo Mendoza Herrera on the canals ing patterns with assemblages of bricks knows everything about photography on of Xochimilco, delegacione south of that she designed herself. She doesn’t over- this continent. She also knows how to in- Mexico City “One day I read in the do it, she makes sure that the decorative terpret jobs in her own way, conjuring up press that this young poet was going to elements are integral to the building itself. images from the past and enabling them be translated into Italian. I was intrigued I understand this approach. It’s far easier to speak to us in the present. I so admire and immediately began to explore her to add flourishes to make something pret- her ability to move mountains.” work. Being a writer is difficult, and there ty than to extract the essence of beauty. Born in 1969 in Alicante, Spain. Former artistic is little hope of being translated abroad. Monsieur Dior was not all that fond of director of the FotoMéxico international festival, But being a female poet and seeing your the decorative himself. He would rather she is a free spirit in the Mexican cultural sphere,poems travel around the world requires play with the cut to achieve a well-propor- a catalyst always ready to build bridges between a certain talent, and unwavering strength tioned article of clothing.” artistic worlds and their institutions. She currentlyof character. She is part of this Mexican runs the Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City, and Born in 1979 in Mexico City. She was the youngest has undertaken the vast task of creating visual tradition of strong women, heirs of the architect—and the second woman after archives, while working to promote Latin Revolution and the mothers who took up Zaha Hadid—to have been selected to design the American photographers around the world. arms alongside the men.” pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery in London (2018). She studied at the University of Mexico and Mayra Martell in the Salón Los Ánge- Born in Oaxaca in 1993. Part of the young Harvard, created her own agency in 2006 and Mexican literary guard. Her poems have appeared represented Mexico during the 2012 Venice les dance hall, in Mexico City “I have in various anthologies, like Poetas parricidas Architecture Biennale. Escobedo has received never met Mayra, but thanks to Elena (2014) and Los reyes subterráneos (2015). numerous honors and awards, including Navarro, I discovered her documentary She also published Anamnesis in 2016. The Architectural League of New York’s Emerging work on Ciudad Juárez. She is fearless and She is dedicated to her community in Oaxaca and has Voices award for her transformation of painter plans to create a library. She runs theater workshops David Alfaro Siqueiros’ studio into a public museum.never shies away from taking risks for her for kids and promotes education for all children. 181