Chiara Ferragni shows up at Sanremo Festival wearing three works of art

Three works of art worn on the stage of the Sanremo Festival, now in its 73rd edition in this 2023. Chiara Ferragni, host together with Amadeus for the first evening, wore them. In fact, the very famous influencer appeared on the Ariston stage first with a Dior dress covered by a stole on which the words Pensati Libera (Think Yourself Free) could be clearly seen, a phrase that appears in a work by Claire Fontaine, two conceptual artists formed in 2004 in Paris by Italian Fulvia Carnevale and British James Thornhill who work mainly with readymade, used to criticize the contemporary art system.

Pensati libera is also a readymade, a phrase found on a stone coat of arms in the streets of Genoa, written during an event, as the duo explained. “’Think Yourself Free’ a sentence found on a wall after a women’s procession in Genoa. The sentence powerfully channels an encouraging call for all women to break away from the emotional blackmail of their daily lives. Women’s freedom does not entail irresponsibility, but the possibility of true love, because love can only happen without living in fear of the other’s violence. Violence against women is proportional to the degree of their freedom, not their submission; men fear independent women who truly appreciate their love and choose it freely. The freedom of women in this sentence evokes a world where love is finally possible for men and women without fear.”

It was Chiara Ferragni herself who explained the reasons for choosing Claire Fontaine’s work with a post on her highly-followed Instagram account. “When we started thinking about the clothes for the two evenings of Sanremo,” she wrote, “we immediately understood that we did not want clothes just because they were eccentric or pretentiously beautiful, but we felt the need to bring a social message to Italy’s most popular stage, including through fashion. The poster dress that kicks off the 73rd edition of the Sanremo Festival is the result of a conversation between us, Maria Grazia Chiuri artistic director of Dior, Rachele Regini and Fulvia Carnevale of the artistic duo Claire Fontaine. The result is a black silk corolla dress inspired by the Dior tradition and complemented by the stole-manifesto embroidered with the claim ’Think Free.’ The simple and yet so strong words come from a work by Claire Fontaine that we hope will inspire all women to feel free to step out of the role that has been imposed on them by society. An acknowledgement from Chiara Ferragni herself as she struggles to not be pigeonholed into a space identified for her by the patriarchy, and also a promise she makes to herself every day as she struggles to not have to feel guilty about her success as a woman. ’Think Free’ is dedicated to all women who feel like feeling simply themselves without being judged.”

Yourself Free

This was not the only piece worn by Ferragni on the Ariston stage last night. Shortly after, in fact, the entrepreneur showed up in a nude look dress, again designed by Chiuri for Dior, inspired by Lucas Cranach the Elder’s Eve of which there are several variants (the most famous is the one in the Uffizi, although the photograph taken of Ferragni to present the dress seems to be inspired by the variant in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna). It is in this case, as Chiuri herself explained, a tribute to the beauty of the female body.

“The second dress designed for Chiara Ferragni,” wrote Chiuri, also on her Instagram account, “pays homage to the beauty of women’s bodies at a time when, in some countries of the world, their reproductive rights are threatened, their freedom to study and work is taken away from them, their right to a peaceful life is trampled by war. A dress that unapologetically claims every woman’s right to shine celebrates the power of women as subjects and not just objects of desire; it shows that no woman should live in fear, disadvantage, poverty or feel shame for being born a woman.”

Why Eve. Fabio Maria Damato, Chiara Ferragni’s manager, explained: “To bring attention back to the rights of women, their bodies, and how the disposition of the female body by them is, unfortunately, still considered controversial and questionable. That is the goal behind this look. The idea of a dress simulating Chiara’s naked body came to us immediately by taking inspiration from a creation by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior from spring/summer 2018. Made in Dior’s haute couture ateliers, the flesh-colored tulle dress reproduces with trompe l’oeil embroidery Chiara Ferragni’s body au naturel and freed from the shame they have always imposed on everyone, starting with Eve, the first woman in history induced to feel shame. This illusion of nudity wants to remind everyone of the right and gender equality they have in showing, disposing of themselves without having to feel judged or guilty. This illusion of nudity wants to remind that whoever decides to show themselves, or feel sexy does not authorize anyone to justify men’s violence or mitigate their guilt. This is a woman’s body, Chiara Ferragni’s body that would like to give voice to all the women in the world who are imposed prohibitions and abuses, all those who are told that their body generates shame, that it is only an object of desire or that it instigates sin. This is the body of all. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone!”

Finally, Chiuri’s third look for Dior is the dress-cage inspired by a work by Jana Sterbak, a Czech-born British artist who in 1989 created a work titled Remote Control, a typical example of her practice with which the artist destabilizes traditional constructs such as masculine/feminine, reason/sentiment, culture/nature and body/machine. Remote Control in particular is a large motorized steel cage that the viewer or the wearer can operate via a remote control device, a remote control. The work is designed to render the wearer powerless, as the person is not only controlled but is suspended several inches above the floor.

“To free the new generation from the gender stereotypes in which women often feel caged,” Chiara Ferragni commented. “This is the idea that Maria Grazia Chiuri wanted to represent with this haute couture dress by @dior composed of a jersey jumpsuit embroidered with rhinestones trapped in a tulle skirt that takes inspiration from Jana Sterbak’s work. This dress represents the hope of breaking the conventions imposed by patriarchy. A hope we place in the little girls of today who will be the women of tomorrow. This is a mother’s wish to her little girl, that she may finally shout Victory!”

Chiara Ferragni shows up at Sanremo Festival wearing three works of art

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.