Taffeta and lace and tulle, oh my! The National Gallery of Victoria has cut the red ribbon on its latest, most highly-anticipated exhibition. Bienvenue to The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture.
Roll out the feminine silhouettes and adorn them with impossible intricacies. Observe billowing ball-gowns and unrivaled accessories colliding in a hot, haute couture haven. This is Dior. And this is how you celebrate seventy years of fashion, in nothing less than a pinnacle of Parisian style.
We’ll give you a second to strip off your brocade blazer. It’s okay. The thought of over 140 of Christian Dior Couture’s finest works would make just about any fashion fiend a little hot and bothered. Have a sip of some Moët and get ready for a housewarming.
‘The exhibition will be a celebration of Dior’s most landmark moments and designs… which revolutionized women’s fashion in the 1950s, through to the present-day contemporary aesthetic. We are also delighted that 68 years after the historic Dior fashion parade at its Sydney store, David Jones is once again helping Australia celebrate the House of Dior, as the exhibition’s Principal Partner.’ TONY ELLWOOD, DIRECTOR, NGV.
Upon entering this veritable Dream Wardrobe, you will succumb to a sensory overload. Heritage garments are plotted along a carefully-crafted maze, climbing up an iconic Dior staircase and spilling onto a chic mezzanine. Spectators release a symphonic ‘whoa’ at every doorway, while recorded dialogue oozes from surrounding speakers. Mannequins completely idol and untouchable seem alive in floral emblazonments, and each embroidered sleeve or peculiar headpiece sparks tireless conversation. It would take close to an eternity to fully appreciate the ridiculous attention to detail that has gone into this exhibition, and the myriad contributors to the cause.
‘David Jones is honoured to partner with the House of Dior and the National Gallery of Victoria for this extraordinary exhibition that brings together fashion and the arts. We have a very special affinity with Dior that reaches back to 1948 when we showed the first ever Dior show outside of Paris, and almost 70 years later, we are thrilled to be supporting the NGV’s landmark exhibition to celebrate the legacy of the great House of Dior.’ JOHN DIXON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DAVID JONES
The slew of masterpiece garbs on display in the House of Dior is a product of seventy years’ worth of collaboration. Although commencing the stroll down memory lane hand-in-hand with Christian Dior, you will inevitably graze palms with his six successive designers – Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri – all of whom imbue the voice of this fashion house with different undertones and inflections. To the untrained eye, the collection doesn’t appear at all fractured by changes in its architects. Somehow, they all manage to meet where it counts – at the seam. Dior’s four fashion codes endure at the NGV, including The New Look, The Line, The Flower and The Eighteenth Century.
Whilst the spotlight is firmly fixed on frocks, the House also flaunts an array of fragrances, millinery, stockings, gloves, shoes, jewels and even sketchbook pages, retelling the story of Dior from top to toe.
Experience the renaissance of couture all over again at:
The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture, the National Gallery of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia from 27 August to 7 November 2017.
Tickets on sale now from https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/the-house-of-dior/
Member $22 | Adult $26 | Concession $23.50 | Child (5–15 years) $10 | Family (2 adults + 3 children) $65.