- Christian Dior
By the time I had heard about the Dior exhibit happening at the Denver Art Museum, the show was over . . . or so I thought. But after repeatedly selling out day after day, the museum extended its runtime and my friend surprised me with a ticket for the final weekend of From Paris to the World.Walking into that first room at the gallery, I was a little teary-eyed. Spotlights shone down on dresses from Christian Dior's first collection from 1947 that I had only ever seen in photos. These iconic dresses were the beginning of the "New Look" that strayed from the previous boxy silhouettes. Dior rounded the shoulders, brought in the waist, and accentuated the hips, which gave the fashion world something to talk about.
Each room of the exhibit featured designs by Dior and his six successors since his passing: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri. As well as showcasing over 70 years of the House of Dior's looks, there were also photographs, original sketches, and accessories on display. Having watched the documentary Dior and I a few years back, I was particularly drawn to the dresses designed by Raf Simons that were highlighted in the film. I was able to get so close to them that I could see the stitching, texture, and detailing of each garment.
The last room of the exhibit was filled with dozens of dresses on a large stage that spanned the history of the fashion house. There was so much to look at that it was almost overwhelming, but it wouldn't be Dior without a grand finale.
After seeing over 200 couture dresses, I was inspired to create. In the four looks below, I used everything from plaids to stripes to sequins to flowers. And I learned one lesson: I will never sew a fabric made of both sequins and beading ever again. But just this once, it was worth the hassle.
Made in Colorado
