Peruvian Shipibo-Conibo Artist Sara Flores on her Dior Lady Art Bag collaboration
In an exclusive interview, Peruvian artist Sara Flores discusses her creative insights and the inspiration behind her collaboration with the renowned French luxury house.
Images by Christian Dior Couture and Helena De Bragança for ArtBasel.com
Have you had any experience with an international fashion house such as Dior in the past? What was your most recent international project, apart from this one?
This is my first experience with an international fashion house like Dior, although I am a textile artist specialising in natural dyes and have designed, cut, and made my own clothes throughout my life.
My most recent international project, aside from this one, was a group exhibition at the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris, where my works were part of a dialogue on visionary Amazonian art and contemporary indigenous culture. During that same period, one of the galleries that represents my work, White Cube, organised a solo exhibition of mine at their space in Paris. During this wonderful trip to France, Dior invited me to visit their fashion house.
How did Dior’s team contact you to collaborate on this project? Was it an open call?
The Dior team reached out through White Cube and the Shipibo-Conibo Centre, with whom I regularly collaborate. It was not an open call, but rather an initiative where they expressed specific interest in my work due to the uniqueness of the indigenous experience and the fact that my art, an expression of ancestral knowledge, has reached the centres of international contemporary art.
What was the creative process behind the Lady Dior bag in terms of inspiration and timelines?
During the first meeting, Dior invited me to explore their history through their internal archives. I was introduced to their designers and shown the quality of their production. This impressed me and convinced me to accept their invitation, as I also create work with care, love, and patience, and value craftsmanship.
What is the meaning behind this particular Kené design?
This design symbolises the connection between the earthly and the spiritual, representing the flow of energy and balance found in nature. The message is as simple as it is powerful: we are all interconnected.
Did the Dior team intervene at any point during the creative process of this bag? What was the extent of creative freedom you had?
Dior fully respected my creative process, granting me complete artistic freedom in the design of the bag and the Kené, as well as in the choice of materials.
I chose Piñatex, a vegan and sustainable alternative to animal leather, aligning the project with values of innovation and environmental respect. Dior team's involvement focused on the technical application and final assembly of the bag, ensuring that the materials and finishes met their luxury standards.
Do you consider the remuneration from Dior for this project to be fair? Could you share fees and whether there will be royalties for your work?
Yes, I consider the remuneration to be generous and in line with what they have offered to other prominent artists who have collaborated on previous editions of this initiative.
Due to confidentiality agreements, I cannot share the exact amount, but the terms included resources for indigenous organisations and support for our ongoing struggle for the recognition of territorial sovereignty for the Shipibo people. In my practice, artistic work and environmental activism are always intertwined.
How many pieces that you have worked on for this collaboration with Dior will be available?
For this collaboration, a limited series of pieces was created, approximately 30 for each of the two models, although the exact number is managed by Dior and will depend on their launch strategy.
What are your upcoming projects, both local and international?
My upcoming projects include continuing my collaborations within contemporary art, both in Peru and at international exhibitions. In March 2025, I will inaugurate my first institutional exhibition at the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI).
In July 2025, I will travel to London for an exhibition at White Cube’s central gallery. I am also working on cultural resistance initiatives in collaboration with the Shipibo-Conibo Centre in New York and the Multiversity Bakish Mai, an indigenous arts, plants, and ecology school I co-founded in the Peruvian Amazon. There, my daughters teach young people from our communities to ensure the preservation and evolution of Shipibo knowledge, passing it on to future generations.
This is the most important aspect of the collaboration with Dior. It offers a platform to raise awareness of the social and environmental issues in our territory, as well as to help shift the stigma that our people face, transforming it with pride.
