Images by Kristen Pelou
Last week we reported on the very long awaited re-opening of Dior‘s storied 30 Avenue Montaigne Paris headquarters, complete with five stories of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones’ current collections, plus a stylish cafe and bar at which to book a table or pull up a seat and show off those fabulous new togs just purchased in the boutique. The handiwork of his architectural exaltedness Peter Marino, it turned out to be a thousand times more breathtaking than anyone even imagined it would be.
But surely its most visceral and compelling feature is La Galerie Dior, which is pretty much exactly what it says it is – though nothing could prepare fashion lovers for the sheer and glorious spectacle that it is. That’s because it gathers more than seven decades of highlights and presents them in a way that veritably tells the tale of modern and contemporary style, beginning with Christian Dior’s epochal “New Look” from 1947, the collection which pretty much changed everything.
As the monsieur himself put it, “Couturiers embody one of the last refuges of the marvelous. They are, in a way, masters of dreams…” And La Galerie celebrates his particularly outsize marvelousness, and that of his six venerable successors, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and currently Ms. Chiuri. On display are an incredible 1874 objects of fashion, including 450 miniature dresses, iconic accessories, original sketches, historic books and even fascinating archival documents.
It winds through thirteen spaces total, including the wondrously named Room of Wonders, and a jaw-dropping room dedicated entirely to the house’s most quintessential and unforgettable ball gowns. There’s even a recreation of Christian Dior’s office, so that one might possibly travel back in time and connect with the master’s everyday inspirations.
It was all created by exalted exhibition designer Nathalie Crinière, who was also responsible for Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, which recently had a successful run at the Brooklyn Museum – except that at 30 Avenue Montaigne, there will never be a reason for the show to close.
N.B. – Time slots for viewing can be reserved at GalerieDior.com.
