The Victoria and Albert Museum have confirmed details of its major Christian Dior exhibition, on display from the 2nd February 2019.
February 2019 will see the Victoria and Albert Museum opening its comprehensive exhibition on the House of Dior – the largest to be seen in the UK and the museum’s biggest fashion exhibition since Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty in 2015.
Focusing on the period between 1947 all the way up until the present day, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams will examine the history and impact the designer had on the world of fashion, to explore the enduring influence of the fashion house.
Based on the major exhibition Christian Dior: Couturier du Rêve, organised by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, the display is being reimagined for the Victoria and Albert Museum and will feature a brand new section exploring the designer’s fascination with British culture.
Through this new section added to the exhibition, it will investigate Dior’s creative collaborations with influential British manufacturers, and his most notable British clients, from author Nancy Mitford to ballet dancer Margot Fonteyn and include the Christian Dior dress worn by Princess Margaret for her 21st birthday celebrations, generously on loan from the Museum of London.
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams will also showcase highlights from the V&A’s Couture collections, including the iconic Bar Suit, gifted to the museum by the House of Dior in 1960. The exhibition will present over 500 objects, with over 200 rare Haute Couture garments shown alongside accessories, fashion photography, film, perfume, make-up, illustrations, magazines, and Christian Dior’s personal possessions.
Talking about the exhibition Tim Reeve, Deputy Director and COO of the V&A, said: “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams celebrates one of the most ingenious and iconic designers in fashion history. Reimagining this hugely popular exhibition from Paris – as the largest fashion exhibition the V&A has undertaken since Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty – will shed new light on Dior’s fascination with Britain. The V&A holds one of the largest and most important fashion collections in the world, and we are delighted to be able to reveal highlights from our outstanding collection alongside those from the remarkable archive of the House of Dior, for this spectacular exhibition.”
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams will be on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum from the 2nd February. For more information visit: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/dior-designer-of-dreams