Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams - Is this love?

Love, amor, amour, amore: different words in every language but all with the same universal meaning. What does love feel like? It is the most incredible and indescribable feeling that goes beyond every sense of physicality. This feeling is the sensation of butterflies running through your stomach and chills racing through your body. Love is a feeling of infatuation, inspiration and beauty. Now, I am no expert in this field, but if it comes remotely close to what I experienced at the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams Exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum, then love must be as spectacular as everyone makes it out to be.

As soon as I walked in, the exhibit took my breath away. As stated by The Times, the exhibit is, “[an] alchemy of fairytale dresses, technical mastery, cultural legacy and A-list glitz that is sure to draw crowds.” The exhibit was extremely crowded and loud as you can imagine. However, I was able to draw out the noise and felt like I was walking through heaven of Haute Couture garments created by the House of Dior and Christian Dior himself. It was a beautiful walk through the most iconic creations spanning from 1947 to the present day.

Christian Dior was a remarkable man who founded his own couture house in 1946. On February 12, 1947, The House of Dior launched its first collection, also known as, “The New Look,” which had an exceptional influence on fashion around the world. I was familiar with Christian Dior’s designs but it was not until the exhibit where I connected with his legendary vision.

The second room of the exhibit was dark and each garment was beautifully illuminated. There are two garments that left me speechless. The first one would be the Aladin dress, which was part of his Autumn/Winter 1953 collection. It is a beautiful strapless black dress adorned with intricate red and light pink flowers. Christian Dior was inspired by the architecture of Paris; the voluminous skirt mimics the doomed cupolas of the Parisian skyline. The other garment that caught my eye would be a classic off-white silk dress with a narrow waist and a skirt that opens up towards the bottom. I believe that this dress conveys and is an excellent representation of Dior’s timeless elegance.

At the prime of his career, Christian Dior passed away. Nevertheless, other creative directors have gracefully carried on his legacy, including: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri. Out of the creative directors that House of Dior has had over the past years, one of my favorites would have to be Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s first female artistic director. She has done an excellent job in channeling Christian Dior’s vision in her most recent work. I was captivated by her Spring/Summer 2017 collection where she took inspiration from Japanese gardens as Dior had a fascination for Japanese culture. My favorite creation from this collection would be a delicate one shoulder tulle dress where floral elements from the mesmerizing pink cherry blossoms are embroidered throughout the gown. Maria Grazia Chiuri does an excellent job of carrying on Dior’s classic elegance, which I admire and respect her for.

Is this love? The Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams Exhibit walked me through the amazing and breathtaking legacy of Christian Dior. This was an experience that opened my eyes to appreciate the hard work of a remarkable man and his devoted successors. The exhibit allowed me to see Dior’s vision with my own eyes. I fell in love with every single one of his creations and the history of the iconic, elegant, and timeless fashion of the House of Dior.