Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams At The Brooklyn Museum
Christian Dior, a French couturier known for his fashion house called “Dior,” was born on the coast of Normandy in 1905 and was one of five children. The company “Dior” was founded in 1946, and he developed old and new innovative designs throughout his lifetime. “Dior” clearly became an instant success, as it still is to this day, leaving a lasting legacy to Christian Dior’s name.
The exhibition “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams,” located at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, takes you on a breath-taking journey through one of the most well-known houses in the fashion industry. As you approach the entrance of the exhibit, you encounter a brief history of Christian Dior’s life timeline and important events that occurred throughout and his passing in 1958.
As you move on, you see an arrangement of garments, photos, stories, and fabrics from Dior’s first few years. When Christian Dior passed away, Yves Saint Laurent took over the couture house until 1960. This part of the exhibit took you through the work of Saint Laurent and other couturiers who took creative direction positions for Dior. After Saint Laurent, there were a list of other talented designers who took the role like John Galliano, Raf Simons, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, and the current creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. All of their collections portrayed the uniqueness of each one, and how they all contributed to the legacy of Christian Dior.
A handful of famous photographers' work appear on the walls, like Irving Penn, Annie Leibovitz, Horst P. Horst, and Lillian Bassman. As you continue your walkthrough, you notice color played a significant role for Christian as he was developing his lines. The exhibit showed how each color is used in its context.
The next room was an all-white room filled with mirrors and The Dior Atelier’s. This room highlighted all of the work that was put into the creation of these garments.
My favorite room, the largest one, is filled with beautiful dresses that reach up to the ceiling. Garden inspired themes, filled with lots of color. As you make your way to the last room, there’s an array of stars who have worn Dior’s designs such as Jennifer Lawrence, Princess Diana, and Anya Taylor- Joy.
If you find yourself in New York and have the opportunity to visit this beautiful exhibit, I highly recommend you do so. It will leave you in awe. I learned so much more than what I already knew about this phenomenal maison, and it was definitely an experience I won’t forget.
Article by Brielle Italiano, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Alexa Dyer, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine
