“Dior, from Paris to the World: Dior celebrates over 70 years of haute couture with new exhibition at the Denver Art Museum
Fashion & Leather Goods
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© James Florio
“As a Parisian couturier, I needed to be aware of not only the needs of French women, but also those of elegant women around the world,” Christian Dior once said. The exhibition “Dior, from Paris to the World” at the Denver Art Museum until March 3, 2019 is a celebration of more than 70 years of haute couture, inviting visitors on a journey through time and the myriad countries explored by Monsieur Dior and his successors.
Christian Dior very early recognized the importance of writing the story of his Paris couture house beyond the borders of France, resolutely pursuing a multidisciplinary, long-term approach. In just ten years he conquered the world, opening a flurry of new boutiques abroad and introducing pioneering retail concepts. In 1947 he embarked for America, writing in his memoirs: “I decided to do things thoroughly and make a complete tour of the United States.” A year afterwards, in 1948 he donated the Chérie dress from his first collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Ten years later, Christian Dior became the first French couturier to appear on the cover the prestigious Time Magazine.
The exhibition “Dior, from Paris to the World” recounts the extraordinary destiny of the Paris couturier who was adored by Hollywood and fashionable personalities alike. The exhibition presents over 180 haute couture designs along with 25 of the toiles from the atelier that brought the collections to life, plus precious photographs, rarely seen videos and films, original sketches, nearly 200 accessories and objects related to Dior perfumes and makeup. There are also rare pieces from the Dior archives – some recently acquired by the Maison and never before displayed – adding up to a sublime tribute to Monsieur Dior’s totally contemporary international ambition, as well as the creative vision of his successors.
“He was the first to understand that from a very exclusive couture house, one catering to women of the highest elegance, he could conquer the planet,” explains Florence Müller, curator of the exhibition. Through fifteen thematic spaces punctuated with artworks – by artists ranging from Claude Monet and Marc Quinn to Jackson Pollock, plus eighteenth-century pieces – the exhibition pays tribute to both Dior icons and Monsieur Dior’s love of art and foreign cultures. “Ladies in Dior” naturally have place of pride, from muses and loyal clients to totally unknown women and, of course stars such as Marilyn Monroe or Natalie Portman. Visitors journey through time as they discover the many countries explored by the couturier and his six successors: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and today Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior Artistic Director since 2016.
Made possible thanks to loans from the Dior Heritage archives and Maison Dior, the exhibition “Dior, from Paris to the World” also includes pieces loaned by collectors and major American museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit and the Chicago History Museum.
Practical information:
Denver Art Museum
100 W 14th Avenue Pkwy
Denver, CO 80204, USA
Exhibition hours: Mondays through Thursdays, 10 am to 5 pm, Fridays from 10 am to 8 pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 5 pm.
Entry: non-member tickets range from $24-28 and members save 50% on tickets.
Youth tickets (ages 6-18): $5.
Children five and under receive free admission.