Snapshots of the Colorama, a wall of miniatures in waves of colour, at the Brooklyn Museum
Starlight, Starbright
A visit to Christian Dior:
Designer of Dreams at the Brooklyn Museum
by Ellen Colon-Lugo
As Florence Müller, the curator of the exhibition Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams has reflected, each installation is like a film. They incorporate a set design and each frame sets a mood, transporting the viewer into a world of magic and mystery. A visit to the Brooklyn Museum’s show Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams works that magic and weaves the mystery into an overview of the House of Dior in a plotted well- thought-out division of designed spaces that awaken the senses.
Christian Dior was a gentle man who dropped a bombshell on the world of fashion and design just after the shattering psychic and geographical devastation of WWII. While some see fashion as merely something to wear, something that might have nothing to do with their day-to-day lives, others see fashion as art. The interpretation of each element of high fashion speaks to each generation and their mindset. Monsieur Dior reflected upon this and expressed his finely honed artistic vision through haute couture. Having survived, and living in this post-war sensibility, women the world over craved a redefining of their status on the world stage. Gone were the strict rationing confines of every level of life. Clothing appreciation had changed along with the world and Dior outfitted the new demand with a ‘New Look’. Yards and yards of fabric replaced the minimal military references of 1940s suits, and with accessories that balanced this New Look, ‘la femme fleur’ blossomed.
It all began when Mr Dior stepped out of his car on a street in Paris and tripped on a brass star imbedded in the sidewalk. His mystical penchant took this as a sign to go solo, and thus, he created his own Maison. That star had perhaps been a street marker for a carriage transporting a grande dame from another century as she visited her favourite shop of frivolites. It may have been there for decades, but the star became for Mr Dior a symbol.
14 | the hat magazine #92
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