The Dior Exhibition
Since July 2017, there is an exhibition of the House of Dior, celebrating its 70th anniversary. It is organized by the commissioners Florence Muller and Olivier Gabet in the Museum of Decorative Arts, covering an area of nearly 3000 square meters.
1 – Dior, the French cultural heritage
Known worldwide, the Dior brand is one of the most important companies in the luxury sector. But it’s not just a business. The history of the House of Dior reflects the history of the second half of the 20th century, but also the history of French customs and traditions.
This exhibition is not just about fancy dresses. It is not only made for fashionistas, but for everyone. It makes us discover the history of Christian Dior himself, and also the history of the House of Dior. One discovers how the social and economic context had consequences on his creations.
The international success of Dior reflects the prestige of French fashion. It is one of the most beautiful couture houses, and it has helped to make Paris the fashion capital of the world. With a no-fault route, this house is unanimous. Dior is synonymous with elegance, femininity, and grace. There is something to be proud of.
I imagine that future generations will study the creations of Dior, and that the dresses will be used in the films representing our time.
2 – An art lesson
This exhibition is the most extensive ever held about Dior. One immediately becomes aware of the incredible effort that was made for this exhibition to see the light of day: dresses, accessories, handwritten letters, paintings, sketches, art objects, magazine covers. There is a rich collection of works of art. Like most fashion designers, Christian Dior loved art in general. He even owned his own art gallery while he was taking his first steps towards becoming a designer, with art serving as a source of inspiration for him.
Thus, thanks to the Dior exhibition, we can find paintings by Dali, photographs by Richard Avedon or Demarchelier, dresses paying tribute to Asian and African art, or images of Claude Monet‘s garden at Giverny. In this respect, the exhibition recalls the importance of nature for Christian Dior. He loved flowers, their fragility and their scent. This is why flowers often adorn his robes, and why according to him, a scent is necessary to complete a dress.
There is also a room dedicated to each of the creators who succeeded one another as the head of the House of Dior: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Churi. The room includes their portraits and their creations.
The exhibition is set up so that even art lovers do not feel lost. All of us are enriched.
3 – A journey full of emotion
The route of the exhibition is made to arouse emotions in the visitor. One strolls among the history of the house, among the inspirations, and among the creations. Each dress is enhanced by a particular staging, of which there are nearly 400. Nothing is left to chance.
It is not only a cultural walk, but it is also a magical stroll. Because after cultural enrichment, comes the magic. The last rooms of the journey allow visitors to not only discover the world of Dior, but to participate. It is magic, wandering among princess gowns. The imagination awakens, to the point that one has the impression of being part of a princess ball.
It reminded me a little of the emotions that one feels as a little girl in the Doll House at Disneyland, this simply being the grown-up version.
Finally, we realize that Dior is an ode to women, a tribute to their beauty, a reverence to their delicacy. We can better understand why this exhibition is called “Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams” because he said that “every woman is a princess”. Thank you Dior.
Small tip: Buy your tickets online, it’s exactly the same price as at the entrance, except that you avoid standing in a queue for 2 to 3 hours.