“Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams”: Victoria and Albert Museum in London welcomes largest ever Dior exhibition in the UK
Fashion & Leather Goods
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© Dior / Adrien Dirand
“I love English traditions, English politeness, English architecture,” wrote Christian Dior about England in his memoirs. Following exhibitions at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the Denver Art Museum, Maison Dior visits London until July 14, 2019, inviting visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum to discover a retrospective celebrating the avant-garde spirit of Monsieur Dior and his love of British culture.
“There is no other country in the world, besides my own, whose way of life I like so much.” Fascinated with London and motivated by a desire to please British women, Christian Dior launched his British offshoot C.D. Models in 1951. Three years later he was received by the Duchess of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, where he staged a spectacular fashion show to benefit the British Red Cross. This was the beginning of an unbreakable bond between Dior and England, embodied some years later by Lady Dior, the iconic bag named in honor of Lady Diana.
The exhibition “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London “celebrates one of the most ingenious and iconic designers in fashion history,” says Tim Reeve, Deputy Director and COO of the V&A. The exhibition pays tribute to the inspiring passion Monsieur Dior felt towards all things British, retracing highlights from the designer’s life, from his childhood to the founding of his eponymous Maison in 1946.
This journey through time continues with the staging of iconic models such as the Bar Suit, along with designs inspired by British Spirit and elegance to which he gave names such as Londres, Mayfair, Chelsea, Dickens or Oxford. The immersion culminates with an exhibit called “Le Salon”, which showcases the splendor of society soirées, illustrated by spectacular dresses that testify to the virtuosity and superb savoir-faire of the Dior haute couture ateliers.
Practical information
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL
Exhibition open hours: daily from 10am to 5:45pm; Friday until 10pm