The highly-anticipated Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams retrospective is making its way to the Brooklyn Museum this fall. After successful showcases in Paris, London, and Shanghai, the exhibition will bring over 200 haute couture garments to New York City. From September 2021 to February 2022, visitors can immerse themselves in the world of Dior within the museum’s 20,000-square-foot Beaux-Arts Court.
The Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition offers a comprehensive look at Dior’s more than 70-year history through a diverse range of haute couture pieces. Alongside the garments, the exhibition will include archive photos, videos, sketches, accessories, and vintage perfume elements. Many of these objects are sourced from the Dior archives and showcase the iconic silhouettes that have come to define the French couturier, including his groundbreaking “New Look” collection from 1947. Moreover, the exhibition delves into the sources of inspiration behind the Dior brand, drawing from flowers, classical art, and contemporary influences.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is the transformed central atrium of the Beaux-Arts Court, which will be turned into an enchanting garden. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore a toile room, paying tribute to Dior’s ateliers, as well as a series of adjacent galleries. The final space will exhibit dresses worn by movie stars, spanning from Hollywood legends like Grace Kelly to more recent celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence.
Curated by Florence Müller, a Dior scholar and Avenir Foundation curator of textile art and fashion at the Denver Art Museum, in collaboration with Matthew Yokobosky, the Brooklyn Museum’s senior curator of fashion and material culture, the exhibition will feature works from the museum’s own collection. Notably, the New York edition of Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams will include pieces by renowned American photographers, such as Lillian Bassman, Henry Clarke, David LaChapelle, and Annie Leibovitz. It will also showcase Richard Avedon’s iconic photograph, Dovima with Elephants, Evening Dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, Paris from 1955.
In addition to Christian Dior’s designs, the exhibition will also display pieces from the different creative directors who succeeded him, including Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri. These designs will be juxtaposed with objects from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection, creating intriguing connections. For example, a rare ten-panel ebonized FSW (Folding Screen Wall) by Charles and Ray Eames from the same era as Dior’s designs will be showcased. The exhibition will also feature drawings and studies by Judy Chicago alongside recent designs by Chiuri. A highlight of the exhibition is Dior’s one-of-a-kind, 31-inch Fashion Doll 1880 (Afternoon Ensemble), which the Brooklyn Museum acquired in 1949, making it the first US institution of its kind to have a Dior in its collection.
Florence Müller emphasizes the global impact of Dior on fashion, stating, “As early as 1947, with his celebrated ‘New Look’ collection, Christian Dior transformed his sudden name recognition into the international expansion of his House, becoming a precursor of contemporary globalized fashion.” Müller also acknowledges the historic connection between Paris and New York, as the Dior brand opened its first New York branch in 1948. The exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum pays homage to this unique fashion adventure.
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams will be on display at the Brooklyn Museum from September 10, 2021, to February 20, 2022. Tickets will be available for purchase to the general public starting June 10, 2021. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the captivating world of one of fashion’s greatest visionaries.
Useful links:
– Brooklyn Museum – Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
– Dior Official Website
