One of the most prestigious and well-known couture houses in the world turns 70 this year. The National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia will exhibit a never-before-seen exhibition called The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture.
Christian Dior with fashion model Victoire wearing the "Zaire" dress (Autumn-Winter Haute Couture collection, H line)
1954
© 2013 Mark Shaw
The exhibition is a collaboration between the House of Dior and the NGV, and will run from the 27th of August until the 7th of November, 2017. It will feature a glorious display of more than 140 garments from Christian Dior Couture that were designed from 1947 to 2017.
Christian Dior, Paris (fashion house) Raf Simons (designer) autumn−winter 2012 haute couture collection Photo © Patrick Demarchelier/Licensed by Art+Commerce
Some of the highlights will include Christian Dior’s iconic Spring 1947 “New Look” collection, exquisite displays of Dior’s signature ballgowns and evening dresses, and current contemporary designs from the Maison’s first female head designer, Maria Grazia Chiuri. Alongside the collection, the exhibition will also showcase accessories, sketches, photographs, haute couture toiles, multimedia and archival material – making it the perfect visit for fashion lovers and Dior appreciators.
To really delve into the House’s story, the exhibition will narrate the history of the fashion house, including Christian Dior’s early influences, the design codes that are synonymous with Dior, and the milestones of its six successive designers following the pioneer’s sudden death in 1957. These include well-known figures such as Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria-Grazia Chiuri.
Christian Dior and fashion model Lucky c. 1956 © Christian Dior Photo: Bellini
The exhibition will also explore Dior’s affinity with Australia, including the historic Spring 1948 fashion parade at David Jones in Sydney, where House models wore fifty original creations by the designer.
“The exhibition will invite Australian and international audiences to discover some of the most significant couture designs of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries,” said the Director of NGV, Tony Ellwood.
According to Chief Executive of Christian Dior Couture Sidney Toledano, “This exciting collaboration with one of the world’s great fashion houses is a testament to the NGV’s global standing, the strength of its fashion collection and expertise and its role in our creative state.”
This exhibition is considered the first complete Dior collection to be shown outside of Paris. Tickets can be found on sale here.Â
