The Bite Magazine - Summer 2019 - Issue 25

bite exhibition CHR C hristian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition current- ly showing at the V&A Museum spans from 1947 to the present day. The exhibition, the biggest that the brand has had in the UK, showcases the history of one of the influential fashion houses in the world and its relationship with Britain. A confirmed Anglophile, Dior said in 1957, “I adore the English, dressed not only in the tweeds which suit them so well; but also, in those flowing dresses, in subtle colours, which they have worn inimitably since the days of Gainsborough.” From the launch of his fashion house in 1947 to his untime- ly death ten years later, Christian Dior designed a total of 22 collections, each containing at least 150 looks, of which his first collection had an instant influence on fashion around the world. Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition has over 11 sections, starting with the first collection and takes you on a journey through each one, including those by creative direc- tors: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri who carried on his legacy after his death on 24th October 1957. The first rooms are focused on ‘The New Look’ including the famed Bar Suit that catapulted him onto the fashion map; ‘The Dior Line’ showing the designer’s 10 defining looks from his 1947 to1957 tenure at the fashion house; and ‘Dior in Britain’ showing his love for the country and the clients who embodied his time as creative director. Two of the showstoppers are a se- quin-encrusted gown worn by ballerina Margot Fonteyn and a blood-red silk organza dress that novelist Emma Tenna select- ed for a debutante look.