L’Of/ciel Style 38
WH AT: CHRISTIAN DIOR: DESIGNER OF DREAMS
WHERE: Victoria and Albert Museum
WHEN: Until 1st September 2019
WHY: While Mugler took the fashion-as-fantasy maxim wholeheartedly into the future,
Christian Dior operated along the same lines but with a romantic eye towards the past.
In a post-war and heavily rationed Paris, he famously and controversially based his
New Look silhouette on the voluminous Belle Époque designs of the century before.
Now, the V&A in London is staging the largest ever Dior exhibition to be held in the
UK, tracing the history and impact of the man himself and exploring the legacy of his
house as interpreted by the six artistic directors who have succeeded him, from Saint
Laurent’s defiance of couture rules and Galliano’s theatrical flourishes to the sharp
modernity instilled by Raf Simons and the empowering message of sisterhood under
current steward Maria Grazia Chiuri.Curated by Oriole Cullen, the show at the V&A expands on the one previously staged
at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris with a new section that dives into Dior’s love
for British culture. In his lifetime, he was enthralled with the great houses and grand
gardens of the English countryside; utterly fascinated by royalty as well as with the
groundbreaking oceanliners of the time, the tailoring of Savile Row, and the excellence
of English manufacturers. This section also includes insider peeks at the magnificent
fashion show he staged at the Blenheim Palace in 1954 and culminates with the display
of the iconic ballgown worn by Princess Margaret on her 21st birthday as immortalised
by high society photographer Cecil Beaton, and on loan from the Musueum of London.
PHOTOGRAPHYADRIEN DIRAND / DIOR