TREASURES OF THE COLLECTION

30 years of acquisitions

 7 APRIL 2018 – 6 JANUARY 2019

30 years after its very first collections were assembled in 1987, and 20 years after it was founded in the Les Rhumbs villa in 1997, the Christian Dior Museum offers visitors the chance for a unique journey through its collections in 2018. The exhibition, the first of its scale, is spread across all of the museum’s spaces. This exceptional selection includes almost 60 Haute Couture dresses, as well as accessories, numerous archival documents and personal possessions of Christian Dior. “Treasures of the Collection: 30 Years of Acquisitions” illustrates the remarkable heritage of the Christian Dior Museum, which became a Musée de France (recognised French public interest museum) in 2002, then obtained the Maison des Illustres label for sites associated with famous figures in 2011. This exhibition allows the museum to pay tribute to all of its donors and benefactors.

Christian Dior, a reserved child and a dreamer, spent his early years in a natural haven, sheltered from view and away from the urban hustle and bustle. The pink and grey Les Rhumbs villa and its English-style garden would remain the principal sources of inspiration for his style.
In 1987, the exhibition “Christian Dior, The Other Himself” at the Richard Anacréon Modern Art Museum led to the founding of a Christian Dior collection. Ten years later, the idea of creating a museum in the fashion designer’s childhood home became reality.
This exhibition will showcase the full diversity of the Christian Dior Museum’s collection. Over sixty dresses, as well as perfumes, accessories, documents and photographs give visitors insight into the designer’s family and personal background, his entrepreneurial heritage, his journey as a designer, and the unique style and global success of the Dior fashion house’s creations to date.
Visitors will discover how the museum’s collections are put together, and how they continue to grow and live. It will honour donors and benefactors of the Christian Dior Museum, as well as key players in the compilation of the heritage collection. Items such as a silver box from the emperor of Japan and Christian Dior’s treasured personal possessions (his lucky star, his agenda, his watch and his scissors) will be presented in an original fashion. Dresses that have been donated or purchased and restored to enrich the museum’s collections will be displayed for the first time.
At the end of the exhibition, visitors can admire miniature reproductions of 30 Haute Couture dresses, specially made for the occasion by the Dior fashion house workshops.