J’Adore Dior

Among the recent blockbuster fashion exhibitions, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris 

celebrated 70 years of the House of Dior, in honor of France’s best known couturier, “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams.” (July 5, 2017- January 7, 2018) Above the staircase entry was a slide show of Dior fashions, which was mesmerizing; it changed every few seconds, so it was hard to look away--and that was just the entrance. The exhibition began with some of Dior’s iconic looks followed by a “Colorama” to display dresses, shoes, bags and perfume bottles in the same color. Garden-inspired gowns were represented in a room with thousands of white paper tendrils and vines hanging from the  ceiling. The exhibition continued across the hall with designs that appeared to float upward, an effect of the ceiling bordered with mirrors. The final gallery--the Dior ballroom--was the culmination for this extraordinary showcase of fashions.

Lobby showcase 

Staircase entry with a slide show of Dior fashions in a cameo-shaped showcase above the stairs 

Staircase entry

Fashion slide-show

Fashion slide-show

Fashion slide-show

Fashion slide-show

Painting of Christian Dior by Paul Strecker, 1928

Painting of Christian Dior by Bernard Buffet, 1954

Diablesse (She-devil red)

The exhibition began with some of Dior’s iconic looks, like a classic gown from 1947. It was wasp-waisted with a full, pleated skirt, in “satan red”. This was Dior’s “New Look” – the silhouette that brought the designer instant fame and ushered in a new, post-war ideal of hourglass femininity. 

Dovima with Elephants

Richard Avedon photographed Dovima at a Paris circus in 1955 for Harper’s Bazaar. She was one of the world’s most famous models, and he was one of the most famous fashion photographers. It follows that “Dovima With Elephants” is one of the most famous fashion photographs of all time. Dovima’s calm demeanor contrasts with the elephant’s struggle with his chained foot (hard to see, but each elephant is straining against the chain on its foot.)  Her gesture and hand on the elephant’s trunk suggest her ability to quiet the beast. She was fearless--anything to get the shot! This was the first Dior dress designed by Yves Saint Laurent.

Sheherazade (R) by John Galliano, 1998 

Ballet Russe-inspired kimono with funnel collar and satin sheath dress, inspired by the ballet of the same name about a young Persian woman who became the Shah’s beloved queen.

Mermaid-line crepe sheath dress with draped shoulder straps and black glove motif at the hips by John Galliano, 1999

Robe Gruau, 1949 

Dedicated to René Gruau, a fashion illustrator who made Dior perfumes famous

The show used a “Colorama” to display dresses, shoes, bags and perfume bottles arranged by color. Dior was the first designer to recognize the economic relevance of branching out into perfume and luxury accessories. In this display, Dior’s creations were intermingled with designs by the creative directors who followed after his death in 1957.

An orange-hued backless dress by Raf Simons 

(Check out the miniature designs of Dior fashions throughout this display. How did they do that? ...painstakingly, I think.)

Mustard-hued dress and accessories

Mustard hues followed by  ballet-slipper pink 

Note the miniaturized pink dress with tiny pleats near the top right of the pic. It is a  Robe Francis Poulenc by Christian Dior, 1950. (Francis Poulenc was a French composer and musician and friend of Dior.)

Ivory dress and accessories

Teal dress and accessories

Aurore evening dress in mint green, by Yves Saint Laurent, 1958

Burgundy ensemble

Bronzes

Dove grey short evening dress

Fashion magazine covers featuring Dior designs

Fashion magazine covers, notably with Jennifer Lawrence & Gwyneth Paltrow

Harlequin Coat (L), 1995,  by Gianfranco Ferré

Inspired by the painting, “Arlequin a la guitare” by André Derain, 1924, and a Picasso harlequin (R) from the artist’s Blue and Rose period

Jackson Pollack-inspired dress (R) by Marc Bohan, 1984

ZiZi by Galliano, 2005

In an eighteenth century neoclassical drawing room are two Galliano dresses in Versailles hues: pale pinks and soft blues.

Drawing room gown

Drawing room gown

Another room examines the inspiration Dior drew from gardens – the ceiling is blanketed in thousands of tendrils and vines made from delicate white paper, evoking the feeling of a hanging garden.

Garden-inspired Robe Muguet (lily of the valley dress- R) by Christian Dior, 1957

Garden-inspired dress with wasp waist and flower petal skirt

Garden-inspired gowns

  Opéra Bouffe (L) by Christian Dior, 1956, draped in the shape of a rose

Garden-inspired  Miss Dior by Christian Dior, 1949 

A short evening dress embroidered with flowers

Dior perfume in designer bottles

Bar jacket & coolie hat
The white “bar” jacket, with its padded hips, styled with a full black skirt and a basket-style hat, is an outfit immortalized in many fashion history books.

On  February 12,1947, Dior presented his first collection at 30 Avenue Montaigne. The Bar jacket , was a signature piece from this collection with its coat with rounded tails that closely followed the curves of the bust and its large black pleated skirt that flared out, giving the gait an elegant swing. Christian Dior took the feminine shape in a totally new direction, relegating the masculine silhouette of the war years to the past. His dresses expressed a modern femininity. 

Floating black ensembles in a double row of display cases  

Muslin is a lightweight cotton fabric used by dressmakers to test the fit of a garment, before cutting pieces from expensive fabric.  This garment is often called a "muslin." In this long, narrow room, muslins, or “test” garments, are in triple-height display cases. The mirrored reflection makes the height seem even greater. 

Crop top “muslin” 

The finished design by Raf Simons appeared in 2015. The top was black and the skirt had multi-colored stripes on a white background.

Muslins

Six small galleries were dedicated to the creative directors who followed after Dior’s death in 1957. They were: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and the current, first female creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. They have all felt the pressure of leading such a revered fashion house. In these galleries, there were floor-to-ceiling images of the post-Dior directors surrounded by some of their designs.

Yves Saint Laurent (1958-1960)

In 1960, YSL was drafted for military duty in the conflict with Algeria. He was hospitalized for depression soon after, and the House of Dior fired him. Mark Bohan was chosen as his replacement. YSL and Pierre Bergé then founded a haute couture house together.

Marc Bohan (1960-1989)  “Hoodie” dress design

Gianfranco Ferré (1989-1996)

John Galliano (1996-2011)

Galliano was fired by the House of Dior in 2011 after making drunken anti-Semitic comments in a Paris bistro. Here, the genius of his work is given its due, and one is again reminded how the Galliano Dior shows were typically the most anticipated of couture week.

Galliano design

Raf Simons (2012-2015)

Maria Grazia Chiuri (2016-Present)
Maria Grazia Chiuri has met with mixed reviews from critics expecting not just attractive gowns but era-defining surprises.

The final room of the exhibition was transformed into a ballroom of sumptuous ball gowns. Some of them have been worn by famous customers who have helped to build the success of the House of Dior, including Princess Grace of Monaco, Princess Diana, Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lawrence. 

Dior Ballroom Gowns

Dior Ballroom Gowns:  Junon (L) and Koh I Noor  (R) by Gianfranco Ferré, 1996, named for a famous diamond belonging to the UK

Dior Ballroom Gowns

Dior Ballroom Gowns:  Junon (C) 1949, named after the Greek goddess, Juno, queen of the gods.

Dior Ballroom Gowns: The gown (L) was worn by Jennifer Lawrence when she received the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2013