Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams opened on 2 February and is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition about the house of Dior ever staged in the UK. The show offers an in-depth and wide ranging study of unique couture garments, spanning over 70 years from 1947 to the present day, with a particular focus on Christian Dior’s love of Britain.
Across 11 theatrical sections, displays showcase the exquisite skill and craftsmanship of the Dior ateliers and the successive artistic directors of the house of Dior. Christian Dior’s admiration for British royalty and aristocracy is thoroughly explored; the house organised private shows for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, and the designer’s most notable clients included author Nancy Mitford and ballerina Margot Fonteyn.
The stunning flower ceiling room displays Christian Dior’s love for florals and reflects his frequent visits to stately gardens and how this has dripped down through other creative directors of the house’s works; creating their own vision of the brand but staying true to the ethos.
Walking through to the final and most beautiful room of all; the couture lounge, projections are cast across the ceilings and walls, changing the space from an atelier’s Parisian townhouse to a renaissance mural, ending on a constellation as if visitors are transported through the stars among these divine creations.
Notable dresses are those from Dior’s J’adore advertisements featuring Charlize Theron in a slinky gold number while John Galliano’s iconic garments remind guests what haute couture is for; a design of dreams.
Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL, +44 (0)20 7942 2000
