Dior unveils contemporary collection with artist Marc Quinn

Dior has teamed up with contemporary artist Marc Quinn on a limited-edition accessory collection.

The British artist has reinterpreted the Parisian house's famous ‘Lady Dior' bags, in addition to a selection of small leather accessories, to mark the opening of the brand's new London boutique.

Quinn has transposed vivid, hyper-realist oil paintings onto the pieces, resulting in a collection that questions the human relationship with nature as untameable beauty. The collection includes models that feature floral prints drawn from his work on one side and the same motif but with the colors reversed on the other side. Meanwhile, violet, white or black orchids bloom against a backdrop of snow or volcanic earth, inspired by his series "In the Night Garden."

One of the star pieces of the project is the Lady Dior ‘Fossil Record' bag, which features a flower relief embossed into silver leather. The motif is designed to depict flowers eternally frozen at the point of full bloom, offering reflection upon the relentless human desire to control nature. Another features a bright blue iris from Quinn's series "We Share Our Chemistry with the Stars," with the artist explaining that: "The etymology of 'iris' is derived from the Greek word for 'rainbow', and in the colors there is a kind of celebration of individuality."

Quinn has also designed a series of clutches and wallets to match the bags in the collection.

The project marks the opening of Dior's largest UK store to date on June 3 on London's famous New Bond Street. Spread over four floors, the boutique will showcase the brand's womenswear, menswear and childrenswear, in addition to its exclusive first ‘Dior Home' collection devoted to l'art de vivre.