In 1804, Haiti gained its independence from France, becoming the world’s first Black republic. Now, centuries later, a French fashion house is honoring the island’s culture with the help of Haitian-American artist Patrick Eugène.
Christian Dior handpicked Eugène, a self-taught, Atlanta-based artist, to reinterprate the brand’s iconic Lady Dior purse for the 10th anniversary of the Dior Lady Art Project. Every year, the luxury fashion house invites select artists to use its iconic handbag as a blank canvas, and for Eugène, that invitation was about more than just highlighting his talent.
“My work speaks of my heritage. Instantly, I felt this was something way larger than myself. So rather than translating a work directly onto the bag, I honored Haiti. I titled the series the Pearl of the Antilles,” he told CBS Atlanta. “It’s a phrase that they didn’t get to necessarily benefit from. It’s a beautiful phrase; it sounds rich, it sounds elegant, and that’s what the people of Haiti are. So, I wanted to reclaim that for them.”
In the 18th century, Haiti was considered France’s richest colony, thanks to the country’s coffee and sugar production and the land’s abundance of valuable natural resources, thus earning it the nickname “La Pearl des Antilles” (translation: The Pearl of the Antilles). The island’s rich history and resilience inspired Eugène to create three designs, that honor the heritage his carries proudly.
“I’m inspired by the past, both personal and ancestral, the resilience of Haitians, and the ways culture is preserved and reinterpreted across generations,” he said, explaining his use of details like pearl embellishment to WWD. “Pearls have long symbolized purity and refinement in fashion, especially at Dior. I wanted to take that symbol and infuse it with a deeper meaning — one that speaks to strength, endurance, and legacy.”
Each detail, from the leather and textile patchwork to the wooden beads, macramé, straw weaving, and raffia embroidery, was intentionally designed to illustrate Haiti’s landscape as well as the layered beauty of its people.
“When you go [to Haiti] and you dive into the culture more and you meet the people, you realize they are the most elegant people,” he told the New York Times. “They are so elegant and so prideful. It doesn’t matter what they have and what they don’t have. They are going to treat it like it’s gold and they’re going to walk around with this confidence that’s unmatched.”
So, when submitting his entries to Dior, the artist not only sent over three digital mockups but also a detailed essay about the importance of the opportunity. A step, the fashion house appreciated, so much so that they selected all three of Eugène’s designs to premiere at Art Basel Paris.
“This opens up an opportunity to have conversations about the work, but also the narrative about Haiti, which lives through my paintings always,” he explained, noting how the inclusion of flowers and plants in all his pieces is an odet o his mother and grandmother. “But I found this as a vessel and a way to get this out globally in another way.”
Believing that art transcends the confines of gallery walls, Eugène intentionally uses various artistic mediums to spotlight the culture and people who raised him.
“Despite what’s going on currently in the world, specifically with Haiti, I know the essence of the people is that of resilience and power and strength and love, so that’s what I want to show,” he shared. “I look at my ancestors, I look at my parents, I look at my grandparents and how they carried themselves through adversity, and that’s what I want to shine a light on.”
