Lovers of fashion and couture will not want to miss the Christian Dior Exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs until January 7th.
The show is divided into two sections, the first is dedicated entirely to its namesake. When Dior released his first collection in 1947, he was already in his 40s and had several artistic careers under his belt: gallery owner (purveyor of Picasso and Dalí masterpieces), illustrator and costume designer.
His life as a designer was of course no less colourful. A highlight of the show is walking down a long rainbow passage of elaborate gowns, ornate hats, opulent jewellery and all sorts of other accessories, taking in the fine craftsmanship and cutting edge design for which he became famous. Styles that are now so iconic as to look timeless to a modern audience were apparently totally novel to his contemporaries, not least because of the amount of fabric used by Dior to create a single dress or outfit - shockingly profligate to some post-war critics.
The second part of the show winds through the rest of the museum and focusses on Dior’s legacy and the brand’s stunning survival since its founder’s death in 1957. Credit is given to the head designers who have taken the fashion house’s reins - from Yves Saint Laurent to John Galliano - and made it their own whilst preserving the enduring Dior vibrancy.
Indeed, the vast array of photographs of celebrities and royalty wearing his designs is testament to the broad scope and timelessness of his appeal: he has been, and remains, a favourite of everyone from Princess Margaret to Brigitte Bardot.
Musée des Art Décoratifs
107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, Francia
Opening Days and Times
Tuesdays – Sundays: 11.00-18.00
Monday: closed