As the Met prepares to open its Costume Institute exhibit, the Brooklyn Museum has just unveiled its own over-the-top fashion exhibition: Christian Dior: Designer Of Dreams, a worthy across-the-river rival of the annual Upper East Side show.
The exhibit, objectively an instant hit with New Yorkers who have already gotten in, "traces the groundbreaking history and legacy of the House of Dior," drawing from the designer's own sources of inspiration, from the natural world to the art world. This includes his first visit to New York City in 1948, a year after his first visit to the United States; that year, he opened Christian Dior-New York in the Heckscher Building (now the Crown Building) at 730 Fifth Avenue "to sell luxury ready-to-wear to specialty shops and exclusive department stores."
In total, there are over 200 garments on display at the exhibit, all presented in dramatic lighting and structures. Along with the couture, there are historic photographs, archival videos, various accessories, and sketches.
According to the museum, the pieces included in the show exemplify "many of the French couturier’s fabled silhouettes, including the 'New Look,' which debuted in 1947," just ten years before Dior died of a heart attack at the age of 52.
Following Dior's death, a series of artistic directors took over his role, including the now-legendary designers Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano, and others. The exhibit also includes galleries dedicated to those directors, who continued to build Dior without Dior.
"A toile room, a tribute to the Ateliers, and adjacent galleries of couture garments showcase the excellence of Dior’s petites mains," the press release states. "The central atrium of our Beaux-Arts Court has been redesigned as an enchanted garden, and a concluding gallery celebrates dresses worn by stars from Grace Kelly to Jennifer Lawrence."
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams is open now through February 20th, 2022 at the Brooklyn Museum. Change out of your sweatpants and buy tickets here.
