Dior’s ‘Designer of Dreams’ blooms in Brooklyn
Following exhibitions in Paris, London, Shanghai, Dallas and Chengdu, among other locations, in recent years, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams recently travelled to New York City.
The show opened at the Brooklyn Museum on September 10.
Drawing primarily from the house of Dior’s archives, the displays also incorporate objects from the museum’s own permanent collection. Haute couture garments (including pieces from Mr Dior’s debut Corolles – or “New Look” – collection of 1947), accessories and design sketches all feature prominently.
Notable accessories on display include an evening purse made for Elizabeth Taylor in 1963 (designed to include a single violet among a sprig of Dior’s signature lily of the valley, reportedly intended to match the film star’s famed “violet” eyes, according to Vogue), in addition to Wallis, Duchess of Windsor’s ruby red velvet “indoor” pumps, embroidered with the initials “WW” to signify the name of their owner (“Wallis Windsor”).
There are also individual galleries devoted to the house’s founder, in addition to the artistic directors who have succeeded him since his death in 1957, including (but not limited to) Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano and Dior’s present-day lead creative, Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Further rooms are dedicated to the brand’s ateliers and petites mains – the artisans or so-called “little hands” responsible for executing oftentimes delicate and intricate haute couture designs.
Brooklyn Museum’s iteration of the exhibition was curated by Florence Müller, Avenir Foundation curator of textile art and fashion at the Denver Art Museum, in partnership with Matthew Yokobosky, the Brooklyn Museum’s own senior curator of fashion and material culture. The exhibition is scheduled to close on February 20, 2022.
Contemporary artists’ interpretations of Dior’s Lady Dior bag in leather, displayed at the brand’s Miami boutique during Art Basel in 2016. Credit: Dior
