Dior Fall 2020 Ad Campaign with photos by Paola Mattioli

Dior’s Fall/Winter 2020 women’s campaign reminds us of the beauty of individuality. Photographed by Paola Mattioli and art directed by Fabien Baron, the portrait-based campaign continues creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s celebration of pluralistic feminism this season.

From the aesthetics of the runway show to her series of conversational podcasts, Chiuri has worked brilliantly to make her audience recognize the ideas and themes behind her exploration of Italian feminist art. The touchstone for this project has been the refrain Io dico io – “I say I” – the introduction to a manifesto by Italian feminist Carla Lonzi, one of Chiuri’s major inspirations. This phrase reclaims femininity from stereotypes, asserting the truth that what it means to be a woman is determined by each individual woman.

This idea is palpable in Mattioli’s spontaneous and poetic portraits, both video and photographic. The character and energy of each of her models is on gorgeous display. Smart styling choices reveal how key aesthetic codes of the runway show – polka dots, check, assertive silhouettes, and feminist declarations – harmonize with this energy, conveying both a personal sense of individualism and a powerful sense of sisterhood.

The campaign seems to perfectly echo the intention of the io dico io manifesto, going beyond stereotypes and finding a beautiful, meaningful way to celebrate diversity and singularity.