The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture
To celebrate the seventieth anniversary of The House of Dior’s debut spring/summer 1947 collection, The National Gallery of Victoria will exhibit a special display of over 140 garments from the Christian Dior couture archives.
The exhibition will showcase designs from 1947 to 2017, delving into the history of the influential brand and examining the evolution of the fashion house since its inception. The retrospective highlights the work of Christian Dior, as well as that of the designers that have since maintained his legacy, including Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and the house’s current and first female Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri.
The exhibition highlights how Christian Dior’s original vision is still very much embedded in the aesthetic, as well as the extent to which Dior has evolved under the influence of these successive designers. Confident, bold, structural, and powerfully feminine are terms that consistently come to mind as the designs evolve over the seven decades. However it’s the technical artistry of Christian Dior couture that has kept audiences and industry tastemakers so loyal to the house since their debut collection in 1947.
The NGV will also be exhibiting two Dior haute couture works, which have been exclusively commissioned for the gallery; The Essence d’Herbier Spring / Summer 2017 collection, designed by Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri and Look 10, Bar Coat Autumn / Winter 2012-2013 collection by Raf Simons.
As part of the exhibition’s curation, the NGV has engaged Parisian artisans from the Christian Dior Couture atelier to work on designs in the exhibit during its first and final weeks. This will offer visitors an exclusive insight into the masterful skills of the House of Dior, cementing its reputation as one of the world’s most successful and celebrated fashion brands.
The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture is exhibiting at NGV International from the 27th August – 7th November 2017
Credits: National Gallery of Victoria
