" DIOR, THE NEW LOOK REVOLUTION"
SPRING-SUMMER EXHIBITION

Christian Dior Museum, Granville

From June 6^th until November 1^st, 2015

After having depicted the links Dior is weaving with the arts, the Christian Dior museum presents the revolution of the New Look and how exceptional it is to the history of fashion.

On February 12^th, 1947, Christian Dior reveals his first haute couture collection in his newly founded House located 30, avenue Montaigne in Paris.  An event unprecedented in the fashion realm, Christian Dior - totally unknown the day before – rises to fame the day after his show. The New Look collection imposes itself as the founding manifesto of the Dior style. This collection revolutionizes the fashion aesthetics of the 1940’s and heralds the revival of elegance and refinement of the 1950’s.

The drastic change implemented by Dior echoes women s desire of metamorphosis from their second world war look. Within this era of reconstruction, Christian Dior creates a new aesthetics heading toward the future. He imposes the reinstatement of an exultant femininity.

To the straight and masculine silhouette, he opposes the revival of the beauty of the curve, charm and splendor.

Within this legendary collection, one design is closely watched, the notorious “Bar” outfit. This afternoon suit, with its pure and architectural cut, summarizes the spirit of Christian Dior’s message. This genuine New Look icon finds itself among the artistic lineage of the House of Dior for the upcoming decades. Artistic directors who will come after the founding father of the House would regularly pay tribute to this original manifesto, while rewriting according to their own skills, a powerful style, always in harmony with the present.

The exhibition “Dior, the Revolution of the New Look” offers a journey throughout the Dior universe and its creation from 1947 to 2015, based upon the original momentum of both the "Bar" suit and the New Look. 

The themed pathway highlights with a new perspective this seminal event assessing the style of the House, from a genealogy of tributes to the “Bar” suit up to its historical and stylistic inspirations, its technical constructions and its plastic hallmark in praise of the curve. 

The exhibition revolves around eighty Haute Couture garments from Christian Dior to Raf Simons, about thirty photographs, around fifty documents, New Look memories, manuscripts, original sketches, Miss Dior perfume bottles, mini-replica of the “Bar” suit, New Look dolls, “suit” patterns and toiles.

Pratical informations