Clearly, once you’ve attended the Dior Designer of Dreams exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum, that HAS to be your Style File Friday. I’m fairly certain that you will end up with three to four full posts on the Dior Designer of Dreams exhibition (I took close to 1,000 pictures…). However, I obviously would be remiss not to share a snapshot in the meantime! These are a few of my favourite things…
It is near impossible to narrow down my favourite pieces in this Dior exhibition, mostly because they keep changing! There are 11 distinct sections to the exhibition, and over 500 objects to take in. In this particular post, the information quoted will be coming from the placards in the exhibition itself. (Later posts will have more from the exhibition catalogue, but I’m attempting to keep it wrapped until I get home…) So, without further adieu, let’s dive in!
If you don’t know me very well, you may not know that my favourite colour is red. So, with that information, you can probably guess that I gravitated towards the red pieces.This Écarlate Dress, designed by Dior himself in 1955, is haute couture at it’s finest, and it is simply stunning in person. (Bring back bows!)
It turns out that although I don’t wear a lot of blush or pink myself, this blush silk printed dress is one of my favourites! Designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, she “based the delicate print on this dress on an 18th century toile du joy pattern. It was used by artist Christian Bérard to decorate Christian Dior’s first boutique”. I do think that part of why I loved this particular piece is the history itself (it was in the Historicism room). However, it is still so gorgeous and ethereal in person that you can’t help falling in love with it! Chiuri is one of the house’s strongest designers since Dior himself, and I’m excited to see what she does.
Without a doubt, Princess Margaret’s 21st birthday dress has to be a highlight of the exhibition for everyone who sees it. It is such an iconic piece from such an iconic portrait! It “was an adaption of the matinée poétique design from his Spring/Summer 1951 haute couture collection… With its buttoned bodice and full skirt, the dress shows just how well Dior clothes the New Look silhouette suited small-waisted women, such as the young princess.” The straw embroidery is utterly gorgeous in person, and so striking. A must see for any fashion fan or royalist!
Are you going to see Dior, Designer of Dreams yourself?
Cheers,
The Historian
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