The Dior Lady Dior handbag has been a staple in the luxury fashion world for decades, and now the French fashion house has enlisted a new face to represent the iconic accessory. Nigerian literary powerhouse, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been chosen to star in the latest campaign for the Lady Dior bag, known as the “Lady D.”
The world-renown author and feminist icon, Adichie, known for her bestselling novels such as “Americanah” and “Half of a Yellow Sun,” as well as her TED Talk “We Should All Be Feminists,” which was later turned into a book, is the perfect fit for the campaign. The Lady D bag is a symbol of femininity and empowerment, and Adichie’s work and activism aligns with that message.
The campaign, shot by photographer Brigitte Lacombe, features Adichie holding the Lady D bag and dressed in a chic, tailored black suit. In one image, she is seen sitting at a desk with the bag placed on top, as if it is an extension of herself and her work. The campaign also includes a short film, in which Adichie reflects on the power of women and the role of the Lady D bag in her life.
“The Lady Dior, as embodied by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is a symbol of the power, the determination and the elegance of today’s woman,” said Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of Dior, in a statement. “She is a woman who, like all Dior women, is free to write her own story and to make her own choices.”
The Lady D bag, which was first created in 1995 and named after Princess Diana, has been worn by countless celebrities and fashion icons over the years. The campaign featuring Adichie will be seen in print and digital advertising worldwide.
“I was delighted to be asked to be a part of the Dior Lady D campaign,” said Adichie. “I have long admired the brand’s commitment to femininity and elegance, and I feel honored to be part of a campaign that celebrates those values.”
“We Should All Be Feminists” T-shirts, paired with a black suit and a matching Lady 95.22, she says, “I feel happiest when I am surrounded by the people I love—by my family, by my friends. I think I just light up.”
She added, “I think femininity and feminism have often been seen as mutually exclusive. And so, I think for a long time, people felt that being a feminist meant somehow to reject everything to do with feminity. Right so, you have to in some ways, kind of appropriate a man to be a feminist, and I don’t think so at all. I think that femininity and feminism actually do complement each other. Women should be allowed to have a broad range of what they can be, who they can be, of how they can present themselves. And so I think femininity is one of those options and I love femininity.”
Talking about the bag, she continued, “There’s something almost timeless about the bag. I think it would be interesting to juxtapose that with a less timeless outfit – a lot of colour, a lot clashing, a lot of maximalism and then the bag. Its beauty is not rooted in any particular period. Timelessness means that it cuts across cultures. It doesn’t matter where one is looking at a beautiful timeless thing, one finds it. One of the motos I like to live by is, never admire quietly. If I admire something about somebody, I think it’s important to tell them. We humans are so fragile and it’s important to give people their flowers while they’re here. So never admire quietly.“
Adichie is the latest in a line of strong, influential women to be featured in Dior campaigns, including Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Portman, and Rihanna. The brand has also made a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, with Chiuri becoming the first female artistic director of the brand in 2016.
The Lady D bag is set to make a comeback for the Spring/Summer 2021 season, and with Adichie as the face of the campaign, it’s sure to be a hit.
