Dior exhibits spirit of visionary designer

By Kim Jae-heun

Top fashion house Christian Dior is celebrating 130 years of Korea-France diplomatic relations with the exhibition “Esprit Dior” at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), Seoul.

Christian Dior’s dresses played a big role in turning costume design into fine art. Through the exhibition, the global fashion brand seeks to contribute to developing Korean costume designs. Six leading Korean artists participated in the show to stress the cultural exchange between Korea and France.

“Esprit Dior” shares the history of the fashion brand, and the founder’s inspiration behind the designs, in the collection of dresses, perfumes, accessories, pictures and records in the display rooms.

The luxury show begins with the three-dimensional concept structure of 30 Avenue Montaigne, where Dior held his first haute couture collection in 1947. The designer’s earliest dress, “Bar Ensemble,” is said to have suggested the “new look” for woman, with its jacket cut to enhance the bust and highlight the basques-sculpted waistline that is to be worn over the corolla ankle-revealing skirt. The perfectly shaped silhouette is highly esteemed as a passport to modernity.

Following rooms reveal Dior’s love for Paris ― architecture in the capital city and the life of a Parisian. Young Dior gave up his dream to become an architect and opened a gallery to exhibit the works of Picasso, Dali, Giacometti and more. Inspired by the painters, Dior decided to draw dresses to express his personality. A collection of Christian Dior’s dresses in the room is sided with design sketches that are named after artists to pay homage.

“The Dior Garden” space displays the 1956 collection of flower-printed dresses and some 12 sets of rose paintings by Korean artist Kim He-ryun. Dior’s love of flowers came from his childhood in the garden at Granville, on the Normandy coast, where he grew up gardening roses with his mother. The fragrance collection, including “Miss Dior” of 1947, in the exhibition shows the importance of flowers to the designer, who described himself as “couturier-perfumer.” Dior once said: “Perfume is the finishing touch to my dress.”

The exhibition also reveals Hollywood actresses in Dior, who all had faith that Dior’s dress would enhance their beauty to the maximum. Pictures of celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and royal customers such as Princess Diana and Princess Grace of Monaco are seen on the screen wall behind the collection.

Esprit Dior’s last rooms present the dresses of the house’s latest successor, Raf Simons. He continued the spirit of Dior in clothes with lines of purity and power.

Fashion pieces are shown in chronological order in a 30-minute tour peeking into Dior’s life.

The exhibition runs through Aug. 25.