Christian Dior’s “Designer of Dreams” Exhibit was so incredible that I had to pause our Steps to Production Series and write about the experience. In this blog I will show you my favorite photos I took during my visit. So….Spoiler Alert! If you can make the time to get to the exhibit, it is well worth it.

Christian Dior’s “Designer of Dreams” Exhibit was so incredible that I had to pause our Steps to Production Series and write about the experience. In this blog I will show you my favorite photos I took during my visit. So….Spoiler Alert! If you can make the time to get to the exhibit, it is well worth it.

This spectacular show was curated by Florence Müller, in collaboration with Matthew Yokobosky. They truly manage to take you through time and on a journey of Christian Dior, and the legacy that is still so prevalent today.

The journey starts, where else, but in the beginning in 1947, when Christian Dior first came to New York. What struck me most about these garments, was that if I saw anyone walking down the street wearing any of them, I wouldn’t think “oh that must be vintage”. The silhouettes, the fabrics, the textures are all timeless while still being very on point for the era. When I work with designers, I typically try to persuade them to be fashionable and not overly trendy. Your designs can be unique without being a fad or trend. This helps you stick around year after year if you are doing what is true to you and not always needing to be “the hottest new thing”. Dior does an amazing job of being timeless and beautiful, and you can clearly see this most clearly in the pieces he designed in the 40s.

The journey continues through the creations of the House’s successive Artistic Directors, the next generations of Christian Dior after his passing in 1957. Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

Each Director has their own way of displaying their artistic interpretation and flair of Dior while also staying cohesive and true to the Dior brand. I had not known Yves Saint Laurent was hand selected by Christian Dior himself, but the board was hesitant because he was only a mere 21 years old when he stepped into the role. Needless to say, Christian had an eye for talent and knew Yves was the one, and I think he has since proven his worth.

While walking through the exhibit, there was a rainbow of ascending colored garments that was truly unforgettable.  I passed by cases of headpieces, shoes, bags, perfumes, and miniatures that left me pining for that dream walk-in closet. The little tiny dresses had to be my favorite, and I didn’t know that Dior had created these before. During the pandemic, I had seen them and knew that Dior had made them to keep couture going without having to create the entire dress (video here). I learned this was always part of the process of couture dress making. Each little dress on a 40 cm form, with all the details of scale, were incredibly impressive. No wonder those who work in the Atelier are referred to “Petites Mains” (literally meaning, tiny hands).

And then my next favorite room, The toile room, a tribute to the Ateliers. The mirrored ceiling and walls gave the illusion of never ending toiles (these are what we call muslins or prototypes). Here you can see the actual bones and first iterations of dresses displayed in the other rooms, complete with pencil drawings and pins. It felt so special to see the raw design process, like the pencil markings from the creators, that ultimately resulted in the masterpieces we know and love today. Dior follows the steps of prototyping that I have been pushing as a necessary step of the design process to my clients (remember my blog a few weeks ago on “Why Do A Prototype?”) 

Next was the grand ballroom. This room lived up to the name as it was filled with garments of different eras all mixed and matched to create this room of effortless fantasy. This room takes your breath away as you walk through the threshold, literally, my friend and I awed out loud. Being designed as an enchanted garden with it’s ceiling of a sky constellated stars, earthy music, and mystical floor to ceiling displays are a great surprise to enter after you have been funneled through hallways of couture.

You round out your journey with the celebrity room. And while the room was focused on celebrities, it was more about the way the celebrities displayed Christian Dior gowns and other Dior artworks. The stars were secondary and shown to be grateful and humbled to be adorned in Dior. Grace Kelly and Jennifer Lawrence were my two favorite celebrities wearing Dior.

In total, there are over 200 garments on display at the exhibit, all presented in dramatic lighting and structures. Along with the couture, there are historic photographs, archival videos, various accessories, and sketches.

Running through February 20, 2022

Scoop up your tickets here

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