Fastidiously crafted from some 140 pieces, the Lady Dior counts as one of the French maison’s most celebrated creations. The bag – embued with the marque’s signature quilting inspired by Napoleon III-era chairs – was originally released as “Princesse” in honour of Princess Diana, who first donned the bag in 1995. With its softly curved handle, instantly recognisable cannage motif and generous application of charms, it’s easy to understand its enduring popularity – especially given the exquisite iterations, including the Lady D-Lite with a removable shoulder strap, that have appeared in the past three decades.

In recent years, some of the most intriguing editions of the Lady Dior were born of the Dior Lady Art collection, a line-up of captivating reinterpretations of the beloved bag by renowned global artists. Now in its eighth edition, a fresh roll-call of 12 creative visionaries has been given carte blanche to artfully deconstruct the bag, offering a fascinating new perspective on a legendary design.

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Jeffrey Gibson; Mircea Cantor; Zadie Xa; Lee Kun-Yong; Michaela Yearwood-Dan; Mariko Mori; Ha Chong-Hyun; Ludovic Nkoth; Mickalene Thomas

Dior Lady Art #8 offers a particularly eye-popping cache of bags shrouded in symbolism and rich in cultural influence. Pieces by Jeffrey Gibson – who will become the first Native American artist with a solo show at the Venice Biennale this spring – employ heritage-inspired beading on the body as well as the colourful D, I, O, R charms. Mircea Cantor, too, took cues from his own culture in two bags gracefully embroidered with a mesmerising floral motif inspired by a traditional Romanian gilet; Zadie Xa’s trio of bags are informed by nature motifs and crafted from a geometric patchwork of fabric per the traditional Korean pojagi technique, pleasingly framed by shimmering swatches of mother-of-pearl.

Unique interpretations of emblematic and archival elements of Dior design can be seen throughout the collection: a bag by South Korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun, regarded as a forerunner of monochrome painting, recreated a foal shoe created by Roger Vivier for Dior, while a black and white leather pair by Cameroon-born painter Ludovic Nkoth maintain the original bag’s classic cannage, its seams adorned with tiny golden masks and enamel seashells. Still more artists have revisited the Lady Dior’s classic gold-hued D, I, O, R charms, which are joined by an abstract lip-shaped mosaic in Mickalene Thomas’s lush rhinestone- and sequin-covered bag, and by a dazzling green leaf in a bag by Michaela Yearwood-Dan.

Visit Dior to discover all works by the collection’s 12 artists.