Following its exceptional success at the Denver Art Museum, Dior: From Paris to the World is opens next at the Dallas Museum of Art from 19 May to 1 September 2019.
The retrospective celebrates more than seventy years of haute couture, in a voyage through time and the numerous countries explored by the founding couturier and his successors.
After the Denver Art Museum, the exhibition has been reinterpreted by the Dallas Museum of Art, in Texas and presents creations exhibited for the first time, ranging from Christian Dior's New Look to the latest haute couture collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri, dedicated to the enchanting world of the circus.
It will also feature more than 200 exceptional pieces, revealing the behind-the-scenes and the richness of the House's universe, including haute couture styles and toile prototypes from the atelier that were used to bring collections to life, as well as precious photographs, never-before seen film footage, rare archives, original sketches and objects related to Dior perfumes and makeup.
This exhibition recounts the extraordinary destiny of the French couturier, who was idolized by Hollywood and the world’s biggest stars, a sublime homage to his creative vision and that of his successors.
The scenography, which was readapted especially for this museum, was designed by the architect Shohei Shigematsu, who also created the set for the prior show at the Denver Art Museum.
Upon entering, the visitor is plunged into the magic and the dream of 30 Avenue Montaigne, through an immersive décor, before discovering fifteen thematic spaces, moving from icons (the Bar jacket, the manifesto for the New Look, opens the exhibition) to a love of art and foreign cultures. Not forgetting, of course, the "Ladies in Dior" which includes faithful muses, ardent clients or famous stars, from Marilyn Monroe to Natalie Portman.
Illustrating this odyssey through time and across continents is an unprecedented dialogue with inspiring works.
Designs by Yves Saint Laurent for Dior find a counterpoint in Marlon Brando's role in the film The Wild One; abstract prints by Marc Bohan resonate with the power of Cathedral, Jackson Pollock's striking painting; Gianfranco Ferré's baroque spirit interacts with a majestic portrait painted by Alessandro Allori; John Galliano's extravagance mixes with a South American religious painting belonging to the Dallas Museum of Art, and Raf Simons' passion for contemporary art is revealed through a painting by Sterling Ruby, one of the inspirations behind his first show for Dior.
Lastly, Maria Grazia Chiuri's feminist spirit and fascination for women artists emerges in The Chair, the Surrealist work by Leonora Carrington.
