I know that I have waxed lyrical about my love of the Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. I have seen many a museum exhibition in my day, covering all areas of history. However, this Dior exhibition is one of the most creatively designed and intelligently impressive exhibitions that I have ever seen. With over 500 items in it, I discovered countless gorgeous pieces that I fell in love with. Christian Dior’s Aladin Dress is absolutely one of my favourites, that I still can’t get out of my head!
Part of the Autumn-Winter 1953 collection, the Aladin dress was designed by Dior himself. Part of the Vivante line, it is a silk cocktail gown that perfectly embodies Dior’s New Look silhouette. You will quickly find that if you google “Dior Aladin dress”, you will find it in several different colours from a 1947 design (all solid colours). However, I think that this 1953 design is much more striking. The fuller skirt, the gorgeous floral pattern on the silk, it all comes together for a wonderfully dramatic garment.
This pieces makes me particularly happy because it actually belongs to the Fashion Museum in Bath! (Yes, the very museum that put on the Royal Women exhibition…) When I chatted with Fashion Museum curator Rosemary Hardin, I learned that the Fashion Museum actually lent several pieces to the exhibition. It is exactly why I think everyone interested in fashion history needs to go to Bath- although the V&A has the largest textile in the world, the Fashion Museum really holds it own and has several gems.
This exhibition and this dress in particular have really made me appreciate accessories in the past. While I can’t say I would want to wear gloves all of the time, I think hats and gloves elevate a dress and it is a shame that they have disappeared. I was very interested to see the model wearing a cocktail hat with it in the exhibition book– it isn’t just a choice of the curators, but of the designer himself!
Have you seen Dior’s Aladin dress? And the important question: are you for or against bringing back gloves and hats??
Cheers,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin’
