This year celebrates its 70th anniversary and to commemorate this special date, the French maison has created an unprecedented exhibition to publicize the legacy of Christian Dior, as well as his exceptional talent with the needle.
Christian Dior, Couturier du Rêve
Under the name Christian Dior, a Couture Dream, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris is hosting the major retrospective of Dior, the largest exhibition of the firm so far. The commemorative exhibition, which invites visitors to discover the universe of its founder, in addition to the creations of the six subsequent designers of the firm who succeeded him: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and, recently, Maria Grazia Chiuri. Emotions, life-stories, affinities, inspirations, creations and affiliations link this exquisite sample that gathers together more than 300 haute couture dresses designed from 1947 to the present. A special feature is one of the rooms, inspired by the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles, which shows dresses worn by royalty, such as Grace of Monaco or Princess Diana, and other celebrities such as actresses Charlize Theron or Jennifer Lawrence, who are ambassadors for the company.
In parallel, and for the first time in such detail, there are workshop fabrics and fashion photographs, as well as several hundred documents: illustrations, sketches, images of reports, letters … and fashion accessories such as hats, jewelry, bags and shoes, among others.
Christian Dior was also an art lover and passionate about museums; more than seventy years of creations are also represented with paintings, furniture and artistic objects. These works highlight and prolong the look of Christian Dior by exploring the links he was able to to knit between sewing and all forms of art that define the imprint of the Maison. The two commissioners of the exhibition, Florence Müller and Olivier Gabet, reflected this dialogue via a chronological and thematic route that unites and occupies, for the first time together, the areas dedicated to fashion with those of the nave of the museum, thus adding 3,000 square meters of exhibition.
The exhibition opened on 5 July during Paris Haute Couture Week and will be open to the public until January 7, 2018.
Dior et Granville
In parallel with this great retrospective, the Christian Dior Granville Museum located in Normandy is participating in the celebration of the 70th anniversary with an unprecedented perspective on the local origins of the Dior style, born in this French city in 1905. The family home has in fact been fundamental with regard to the sources of inspiration of the designer and the exhibition pays homage precisely to that period of his life which is not so well known and which marked all his future creations. Among photos of the time and of his family, some of his most iconic costumes are on show, which cover both the history of the French maison and his importance for his country.
Christian Dior and Granville: the source of the legend is open to the public until the 24th September.
