Nanni Strada: The Italian Designer Who Inspired Dior's 2021 Collection

Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director at Dior, highlighted Milanese designer Nanni Strada (born 1941) as a key influence for the Spring/Summer 2021 collection, which premiered at Paris Fashion Week 2020. Chiuri referred to Strada as "an Italian genius of industrial design," embracing her belief in clothing as a living space. After releasing two collections in 1970, Strada shifted away from conventional fashion to explore Eastern garment geometry. Journalist Camilla Cederna described her as "a white fly in the fashion world," while critic Gillo Dorfles considered her "a case apart." Strada's work has been showcased internationally, earning her the Compasso d'Oro ADI in 1979 and a career Compasso d'Oro in 2018, along with designing liturgical vestments and collaborating with Max Mara and Yamaha Japan.