In celebration of the House of Dior’s 70th anniversary, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is hosting a new exhibition featuring signature pieces from the Museum’s most prized, yet rarely seen, collections.
Presented by Holt Renfrew, Christian Dior is focusing on the early designs of the world renown couturier Monsieur Christian Dior. Visitors can revel in creations made from 1947 to 1957; designs that were revolutionary and introduced soft shoulders, padded hips, and long, full skirts — a drastic change from the then-popular masculine wartime styles.
Josh Basseches, the ROM’s Director and CEO, says: “It is safe to say that few people have had as great an influence on shaping the modern aesthetic as Christian Dior. His standing among contemporary fashion designers remains central to this day. As the House of Dior celebrates its milestone anniversary, there is no better time for the ROM to share our extraordinary collection of Dior couture with audiences. This exhibition is another example of the Museum’s ongoing commitment to addressing topics that engage our visitors and feel relevant to their lives.”
The exhibition is arranged thematically by Day (suits and day dresses), late Afternoon to early Evening (cocktail and dinner dresses), and Evening (ball and formal gowns). The pieces are contextualized with Christian Dior accessories and perfumes, textile and embroideries and augmented by contemporary film, sketches, fashion photographs, and advertisements.
The exhibition will highlight ancillary industries that flourished alongside Dior and will feature loans of embroidery samples by three embroidery firms: Rébé (on loan from the Musée du Pays rabastinois, Rabastens, France); Ginisty (on loan from Christian Dior Héritage, Paris); and Maison Hurel (on loan from Maison Hurel, Paris), which is still working for Christian Dior today. Textile and ribbon samples from the Musée d’Art et d’Industrie, Saint-Etienne, France, will also be included.
Visitors will be able to learn more about the pieces on display by accessing information on the iPads situated throughout the exhibition, which include: technical details about their construction; photos os Dior§s original sketches and swatchesô detail photos that show fine elements of the dresses up closeô photos and stories about the women who owned and wore the dresses; archival images; and original advertisements.
Drawn from the ROM’s renowned Christian Dior haute couture collection, the exhibition is supported by loans from Christian Dior Heritage, Paris and several other lenders.
Christian Dior is on display from Saturday, November 25, 2017 to Sunday, March 18, 2018.
Photo: Courtesy of Christian Dior
