Dior: Designer of Dreams, Part IV- Style File Friday

I know that I was supposed to have my Dior: Designer of Dreams series done in 3 posts. How once I started editing photos and organising my notes and everything, I realised that I could probably post on it weekly for a year. Still, as promised, this is the final instalment in my Dior: Designer of Dreams series! This week is looking at the last section of the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition, The Ballroom. So, prepare yourself for more gorgeous gowns than you could ever handle, and be ready for your jaw to drop!

The Ballroom

The Ballroom is one large breathtaking room. Interestingly, the lighting slowly changes it so you can see the dresses in several different lighting effects. I didn’t notice it on my first tour around the room, but I noticed on the second go around as everything looked slightly different and then it hit me. Whomever designed Dior: Designer of Dreams is brilliant, and must be a leader in the field.

“Drawing on his love of costume, it was in his evening dresses and ball gowns that Dior could indulge his imagination and showcase the diverse skills of the haute couture ateliers. Revelling in splendour and extravagance, his spectacular creations featured skillful draping, intricate embroidery and magnificent embellishment with the most luxurious of materials.” (Christian Dior, Oriole Cullen and Connie Karol Burks, p.182)

Although I chatted about my difficulty with John Galliano’s designs in Part II and Part III of my Dior: Designer of Dreams series, I do have to say that his gowns in this room for the most part are more of what you would expect from Dior. Yes, there are a few showgirl pieces in the Ballroom, but overall, they do eschew elegance. This dress is intriguing in photograph, but it is beautiful in person! Although the turquoise looks slightly dark, it is actually crystal beading that shimmers as the light moves across it. And I think that the dramatic shape still grabs your attention like any other Galliano piece.

The other Galliano piece that I was drawn to in The Ballroom was this dress worn by actress Zhang Ziyi. The ballroom features a small section of dresses and ensembles worn by celebrities (mostly actresses), and this is one of them. The Swarovski crystals paired with the light tulle make for a beautiful and sparkling look. I also love the wrap detail at the neckline- those are things that I don’t normally notice on a red carpet photo.

I must admit, Natalie Portman is not my favourite actress. (I don’t care what people say, she did not become anywhere close to a professional ballet dancer in year, and saying that reduces all of the work dancers do for decades. Okay, soapbox over.) However, this dress is another beautiful delicate gown.  Designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, this gown took over 250 hours to complete and was a part of the AW18 collection. As you’ve seen throughout the exhibition posts, Chiuri really prefers a sleeker a-line silhouette. I feel like I am not tall enough (or slender enough) to wear her designs, but I can dream about them….

This Gianfranco Ferré gown looks a brighter pink in this particular light,  but it reminds me of the 1950s with its broad sweeping skirt! This exhibition was fantastic at using mirrors, and this is one of two rooms to use them very well. (You can see the other in Part I of this Dior series!) I loved being able to see the details on the back of the gowns, as they are so well-thought out. At first you don’t even really notice the mirrors, it just appears like there are dresses forever, but you quickly realise that you are seeing the backs and sides of the gowns, and it is perfect exhibition design.

This is the Esther dress, and it was designed by Dior himself. This was actually the dress that made me realise that the lighting colours were changing, and I watched it for a full two minutes. I love the red circle embellishments carried across the pleats. The molded bodice is a look that we don’t see as often nowadays but I think that you could easily wear this dress in 2019. I’m also unsure as to why we stopped wearing gloves but we should bring those back. (Would my hands be less dry if I wore gloves throughout the day? Serious fashion questions.)

This dress may seem unassuming at the beginning, but it is one of my favourite pieces of the entire exhibition. This dress, designed by Christian Dior, was worn by prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn. According to the V&A, ” The strapless ‘princess’ style gown is a sculptural masterpiece. Haute couture designers enjoyed making two dresses in one. Here the front skirt is short, reaching lower calf level. At the back the skirt is long and forms an impressive train that sweeps the floor.” Fonteyn was a long-time client of Dior, and she often wore his pieces. If only he had designed costumes for the Royal Ballet!

And the final piece, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s piece from 2018, the Eventails de vos Hasards dress. Because of that creative use of mirrors, you think at first that there are five separate dresses, but there is just the one stunning piece. This is certainly one of the most structural pieces in the ballroom. It doesn’t look it from the front, but when you look at the back, the architecture of the dress stands out. What I think works so well with this particular ensemble is that the skirt mimics the pleating of the fan, and is almost the inverse of it. I also love that she carried the Christian Dior script through the fan, and the dress. She ties in the history of the house and Christian Dior itself without feeling like a costume, and it is the perfect act of homage. What a final note to an incredible exhibition!

What has been your favourite piece from Dior: Designer of Dreams? And have you been able to purchase tickets for the extended exhibition run? I am excited to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Cheers,
The Historian
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