Designer of Dreams

I took Thom to see Christian Dior:  Designer of Dreams at the Brooklyn Museum for his birthday.  He's outlived Mr. Dior by 11 years.  

An artist used tiny images of Marilyn Monroe to create the portrait above.

Dior established his eponymous brand in the 1940s but premature death prevented him from designing it for long.  It's hard not to wonder what the man who revolutionized women's fashions with his "New Look" would make of some of the dresses sewn in his wake.

Dior, who created strong shapes and silhouettes after a fabric-starved World War II,  once said "I have designed flower women."

Coco Chanel wasn't a fan.   “Look how ridiculous these women are, wearing clothes by a man who doesn’t know women, never had one, and dreams of being one.”  Meow!

I don't know, Audrey looked pretty good in this shot by Richard Avedon.  Who knew Art Buchwald was such a bon vivant?

The exhibit devotes a gallery to fashion photography.  Nobody shot clothes better than Avedon or Irving Penn.

To date, five designers have taken the reins at Dior.  A very young Yves St. Laurent saved the house from financial ruin before France drafted him to fight in Algeria.

Yves St. Laurent (1957 - 1960)

Marc Bohan had the job the longest, nearly three decades.  His early designs certainly reflect the 60s.  

Marc Bohan (1960 - 1989)

Gianfranco Ferre fell asleep on the job.

Gianfranco Ferre (1989 - 1996)

John Galliano rivaled Alexander McQueen in terms of talent.  His women look like hothouse flowers!

John Galliano (1996 - 2011)

Raf Simons brought back simplicity.

Raf Simons (2012 - 2015)

Maria Grazia Chiuri is the first woman to take the helm.  A feminist who pals around with Judy Chicago whose art appears behind the dresses.  The more I saw of her work, the more it grew on me.  Maybe Coco had a point.

Maria Grazia Chiuri (2016 - present)

Another gallery evokes the House of Dior's love for 18th century glamor with gowns from all six designers.

Has there ever been a more cunning perfume bottle?

Cindy Sherman makes a cameo with this objet d'art.

This panel evokes magazine nostalgia and the symbiotic relationship between fashion and commerce.  I'm pretty sure I first became aware of Dior through Time or Life magazines.  Carmel Snow at Harper's Bazaar coined the phrase "New Look."  And advertiser Nieman Marcus was the first American department store to promote Dior by inviting him to Dallas to receive an award.

Each gallery seems more beautiful than the last.  

Accessories get their own color-coordinated treatment.

There's even a mock atelier with mannequins in muslin climbing as high as a skyscraper in a mirrored gallery.  Stunning!

But nothing quite prepares you for the Enchanted Garden which displays dozens of Dior's most prettiest "flowers" in an installation that will take your breath away.  Stunning on steroids!

But wait.  The exhibit isn't over yet.  "Stars in Dior" matches up gowns with the celebrities who wore them on the red carpet.

 

It ends with a lucky star.  Christian's.