Christian Dior was always a discerning lover of the arts. Early on, he dreamed of becoming an artist. From a well-to-do family, Dior opened his first art gallery in Paris in 1928 and his second gallery in 1932. Then on February 12,1947, Christian Dior showed his first haute couture collection to great acclaim. He created a revolutionary style, with nipped in waist and full skirts, met with unrivaled success.
The following year, Dior opened a branch in New York and, in a move akin to today’s globalized fashion, initiated a plan to introduce the fashions of Paris to the world and make the new Look accessible to American women.
“Fashion above all is a question of line. From the shoes to the hat, the silhouette must be viewed as a whole”
Christian Dior
Christian Dior died of a heart attack on October 24, 1957, while vacationing in Italy. There were so many flowers at his funeral in Paris that his sister arranged for them to be displayed in tribute at the Arc de Triomphe. Although the founder was gone, the fashion house continued, led by a succession of six highly talented artistic directors: Yves Saint Laurent (personally chosen by Christian Dior for his succession), Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Each of them pursued their own creative vision while paying tribute to Christian Dior’s legacy and offering their own interpretations of his iconic fashion themes, which include a reverence for women; the accentuation of femininity; a love of flowers; and a celebration of art, history, and culture. The one-of-a kind handmade couture dress has continued to offer a showcase for the House of Dior’s traditions of haute couture expertise and specialized techniques.
Check out some of the footage and pictures we captured below from the ongoing Brooklyn Museum exhibition, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, that traces the groundbreaking history and legacy of the House of Dior. The exhibition started on September 10, 2021, will end February 20, 2022, and brings to life Dior’s many sources of inspiration—from the splendor of flowers and other natural forms to classical and contemporary art.
