Dior Reimagines Amoako Boafo Works Through Rafael Pavarotti’s Lens
In November, Dior Homme director Kim Jones unveiled new images for the label's Summer 2021 campaign inspired by the work of Ghanian-born artist Amoako Boafo. Shot by Brazilian-born fashion photographer Rafael Pavarotti, the highly saturated visuals feature an all Black cast of models in Jones’ designs with many of Boafo's motifs taking center stage.
The project came about after Dior director Kim Jones met Boafo during the artist’s 2019 residency at the Rubell Museum in Miami, which helped cement the artist's rise to fame. For the ongoing collaboration which has been in the works throughout the pandemic, Dior produced "Portrait of an Artist," a short film featuring Boafo's studio and models from the series in the new designs.
The collaboration between Dior and Boafo is also reciprocal, as some of the clothing modeled in the new ad campaign have appeared in Boafo's recent paintings. In September, Green Beret (2019) debuted during Baofo's solo show at Chicago's Marian Ibrahim Gallery. The painting depicts the floral-design clad young model wearing a beret captured in the Summer ad series (slide 3).
At the center of both Pavorotti and Boafo's works, each known respectively for their illuminating portraiture, is Black representation. Combining Christian Dior’s signature aesthetics, with Boafo and Pavarotti's craft, the summer campaign shines a light on the art of collaboration.
