Tia-Thuy Nguyen creates a work of art from the legendary Lady Dior bag

In January 2024, a representative of Dior contacted Tia-Thuy Nguyen for cooperation to create a work of art for the legendary Lady Dior bag.

This is a project by Dior in collaboration with talented artists in many countries called "Lady Dior As Seen By."

It takes the form of a movable exhibition, traveling through many cities and displaying works in which Dior collaborates with artists to sketch a picture that reflects the creative internationally, transcending principles and borders.

This special collaboration was also initiated to honor founder Christian Dior's passion for art.

Tia-Thuy Nguyen next to her artwork, Lady Cloud. Photo courtesy of Lady Cloud

Dior proposed two months to complete the work. Even though she is busy with many large art projects, Tia-Thuy Nguyen still said yes.

"Lady Dior As Seen By" is a project honoring the legendary Lady Dior bag.

The name Lady Dior itself is already special; under the hands and infinite creativity of the world's leading contemporary artists, it takes on a new charm.

Dior calls the project a captivating modern adventure driven by creative passion. Lady Cloud will be displayed at the project's exhibition and classified as one of Dior's special artifacts.

When witnessing the finished artwork "Lady Cloud" by Tia-Thuy Nguyen, representatives from Dior expressed surprise at the performance of the work as well as the connection between the spirit of The House of Dior and the artist.

When she received the invitation, Tia-Thuy Nguyen spent time carefully researching the Lady Dior bag from a creative perspective, started making sketches on paper, and then created a 3D prototype in clay.

This is how she can accurately visualize the structure and proportion of the work in real space.

The first sketch steps of Lady Cloud. Photo courtesy of Lady Cloud

Tia-Thuy Nguyen explained why she chose quartz as the main material.

In feng shui, quartz is a stone that balances qi and helps calm the mind. From an aesthetic perspective, quartz resembles the clouds, allowing light to pass through and bending its direction to reflect its surroundings.

To find the right block of stone that meets the desired clarity, hardness, and size, Tia-Thuy Nguyen and her colleagues had to go to many famous places and even some in other countries.

After many searches, Tia-Thuy Nguyen also found the most suitable stone block to make "Lady Cloud," a 103kg crystal block from Phan Thiet.

The artwork is like clouds and adventure, freely changing color. Photo courtesy of Lady Cloud

Next, the stone sculptures were created, and the large stone blocks were divided into hundreds of thousands of tiny quartz crystals with different angles and colors. The cutting and polishing were all done entirely by hand.

After classification, Tia-Thuy Nguyen and the artisans began the process of attaching stones to create a gentle, flexible cloud with color changes from light to dark surrounding Lady Cloud. 

Tia-Thuy Nguyen said that during the creative process, her collaborators often thought it would not be possible to complete it in such little time, and there were also times when it seemed like it was over as Tia-Thuy Nguyen couldn't find a manufacturing plan.

But step by step, they went from the starting point to the final destination to create a unique Lady Cloud bag sculpture.

Utilizing the power of light to highlight the work and create a unique message for each viewer, Lady Cloud is covered with thousands of quartz crystals meticulously arranged according to color and texture.

Under the lights, it will bring different feelings to viewers based on each moment and each angle.

Lady Cloud sparkling with quartz pellets at the exhibition. Photo courtesy of Lady Cloud

Tia-Thuy Nguyen said that Dior has researched and followed her artistic journey and found similarities. Now was the perfect time for them to work together.

This combination is not only a collaboration to adapt a Dior icon but an intersection between two design thoughts and philosophies.

The artist brings her signature aesthetic and spontaneous personality, while Dior represents exemplary elegance with its classic bag shape.

"I am very happy that we have more opportunities to meet and interact with the diversity of the world. Through this exhibition, I hope the audience and my colleagues will see a new possibility, a new way of expression, and motivate us to move forward together," the artist said.

Lady Cloud is currently on display for the public at the "Lady Dior As Seen By" exhibition from now until April 14, at An Gallery, Union Square, 159 Dong Khoi, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.