As Christian Dior once said, “Fashion designers offer one of the last refuges of the marvellous. They are, in a way, the masters of dreams…” La Galerie Dior is the perfect place to witness the truth of this wisdom.
From the moment you step through its doors, you are immediately swept away by a riot of colour. The impressive three-story-high display surrounding the white spiral staircase holds a rainbow collection of miniature dresses, suits, handbags, shoes, and hats. This spellbinding kaleidoscope is only a prelude to the main part of the exhibition, celebrating Dior’s past, present, and future.
World’s largest Christian Dior exhibition
Founding his eponymous fashion house in 1946, at the exact address where the exhibition takes place, a revolutionary French couturier showed his first ever collection just one year later, introducing women to nipped in waists and full skirted ensembles that subsequently changed the face of fashion forever.
Spanning over 2,000m² across three floors, the exhibition takes visitors on an immersive journey through Dior’s legacy. Each of the 13 uniquely designed rooms highlights the brand’s most iconic works, including “The New Look” and Dior’s signature tulip silhouette.
It is also nothing if not replete: we’ve never seen so much silk satin, so many boned bodices and knife-edge pleats. Princess Diana’s 1996 Met Gala look is also on show alongside with dresses worn by Marlene Dietrich, Sophia Loren and other Hollywood legends.
Immersive design and craftsmanship
The permanent collection includes archival garments, photographs from Dior’s childhood, early sketches, and letters alongside audiovisual installations.
Dior’s recreated office and a glass floor providing a peek into the old atelier transport you back to the brand’s origins. Another room showcases the artistry of Dior’s tailors with live demonstrations by craftsmen from Dior’s team – a mesmerising display of the precision and delicacy required to create haute couture.
Each of Dior’s six artistic directors is honoured. There sits Yves Saint Laurent’s bold trapeze lines, Marc Bohan’s demure dresses, Gianfranco Ferré’s ostentatious frocks, John Galliano’s theatrical pieces, Raf Simons’ minimalism and Maria Grazia Chiuri’s feminist reinvention.
The exhibition crescendos with the “Dior Ball,” featuring a dazzling display of red-carpet gowns worn by Jennifer Lawrence, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rihanna, and more. The room’s walls transform into various backdrops, from a bright blue sky to a starlit night, allowing you to be captivated by each gown in different light.
Marriage of fashion and photography
La Galerie Dior also hosts rotating exhibitions. Currently on view until May 4, 2025, is a collection of over 100 photographs by the late Peter Lindbergh. Lindbergh was behind the lens of some of fashion’s most legendary imagery: from capturing the ’90s supermodels as angels, to his signature black and white portraits.
The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to trace 70 years of the fashion house’s history through Lindbergh’s lenses, including an extraordinary shoot for Dior carried out on the streets of New York in October 2018.
For steadfast lovers of Dior, La Galeria is the chance to see a breathtaking array of gowns in stunning ethereal settings. For newcomers – to understand the true significance of this fashion powerhouse in an aesthetically pleasing dreamy environment. So, even if you’re not into handbags and dresses, you’ll still find plenty of value in visiting this unique museum.
More information about the La Galerie Dior can be found here.
Image credits: © La Galerie Dior, Adrien Dirand
