Welcome to the Dior Talks podcast series dedicated to the 10th edition of Dior Lady Art, hosted by Paris-based journalist Katya Foreman. For this milestone edition, 10 artists from across the globe were invited to reinterpret the iconic Lady Dior handbag, transforming it into a one-of-a-kind artwork.

In this episode, we speak with London-based artist Lakwena, whose vibrant practice draws on the power of words, color, and everyday symbolism to create visual declarations of hope, strength, and spiritual resonance. Blurring the lines between street signage, sacred space, and pop culture, her work inhabits both public murals and intimate objects—offering what she describes as “a present hope and a future glory.”

For Dior Lady Art, Lakwena approached the Lady Dior as a vessel of meaning—honoring the bag’s symbolic function as something we hold, carry, and treasure. Inspired by her experience of new motherhood, she infused her designs with phrases like “Love Me,” “Hold Me,” and “Carry Me”—a poetic reflection on tenderness, prayers and meditations, and feminine power.

Drawing from her recent body of sculptural paintings—assemblages composed of cut wooden pieces—Lakwena translated her visual language into a richly tactile patchwork of leather and precious metallic finishes. Each element was hand-cut and assembled to echo the collage-like surfaces of her work. The addition of a resin sculpted hand to the bag’s iconic “D, I, O, R” charms deepens the symbolism—evoking ideas of making, holding, and connection.

Embracing the legacy of Dior’s cannage quilting while imbuing the bags with contemporary vibrancy and meditative stillness, Lakwena’s creations bridge the personal and the universal. These intimate yet powerful pieces pulse with her signature voice—joyful, instinctive, and quietly radical.

Download the episode to enter Lakwena’s universe and discover her journey with Dior Lady Art #10.

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Hold Me: Lakwena for Dior Lady Art #10