Christian Dior, un talent extraordinaire
On the windy, sunny last day of 2017 a friend and I attended the Dior retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
It was without a doubt one of the best museum displays I have seen in a long time: informative, complete, well-explained and….magical!
Dior was more than a designer: he was a visionary, an architect, a lover of nature. His creations, in the words of Yves Saint Laurent, captured ” post-war insouciance, discreet luxury and stunning beauty.”
As I traveled through the well-appointed exhibition, I found myself gasping at the attention to the cut, the detail, the colour and the combination of conservatism and frivolity. The creations vary, depending on the designer – first Dior, then Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and currently, Maria Grazia Chiuri. They imprint their own originality but all adhere to the love of and strict standards of haute couture.
Perhaps they had Dior’s words in mind while designing: “Respect tradition and dare insolence: you cannot have one without the other.”
The show, which ends January 7 and has attracted more than 6000 visitors a day, is an appropriate and stunning tribute to one man’s genius and talent and seven decades of the House of Dior.
A beautiful way to end the year!
The photos show Dior’s “New Look” which scandalized traditionalists after the War, an exuberant red gown I’d kill to have, a collection of flowered motifs (Dior loved gardens and flowers – as a boy, he compulsively consulted garden catalogues), accessories and details in white, and a bottle of Miss Dior, his first perfume which he launched the same year as his fashion house in 1947.
What a beautiful and apt description of this outstanding exhibit. It truly represents what French haute couture is all about. Or rather, at its best, can be. To spend an hour, even two, surrounded by such beauty is truly a magical moment. And to see so many visitors– French and foreign — gasp with awe (the highlight, a stupendously huge salle of the show’s finale) was heartwarming. Beauty is such a balm to the eyes and soul. The show will not be traveling (though it could so easily be shown at the Met in New York). It was a privilege and special treat for Parisians.
Thank you for sharing, Harriet!
Thanks for your remarks, Nancy. And thank you for inviting me to attend the show with you!