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Fashion

The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Culture First Look

At the launch of the Dior spectacular Melbourne was referred to as the fashion capital of Australia. Following a series of high profile fashion exhibitions in Melbourne we are now reaching peak fashion - celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the House of Dior, one of the world’s most prestigious couture houses. The World Loves Melbourne attended the National Gallery of Victoria launch of The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture. The exhibition goes from 27 August to 7 November (admission fees apply).

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Exclusive to Melbourne, this exhibition is a collaboration between the NGV and the House of Dior and includes a sumptuous display of more than 140 garments designed by Christian Dior Couture between 1947 and 2017. And this is a must visit. Every piece of the exhibition is timeless! We began with speeches and canapes and Moet champagne. Then we were given a first look at the exhibition.

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The House of Dior explores the story of the fashion house through a series of themes, featuring works by the seven designers who have played key roles in shaping Dior’s renowned fashionable silhouette: Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

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The exhibition narrates the rich history of the fashion house, including Christian Dior’s early influences, the design codes synonymous with the House of Dior, insights into the Dior atelier workrooms, the role that accessories have played in expressing the complete Dior look and the milestones of its six successive designers following Christian Dior’s sudden death in 1957.

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Highlights include examples from Christian Dior’s iconic spring 1947 New Look collection, magnificent displays of Dior’s signature ball gowns and evening dresses, as well as designs from the inaugural couture collection of the House’s first female head designer, Maria Grazia Chiuri.

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Dior’s unique and longstanding affinity with Australia is also examined, including the historic Spring 1948 fashion parade at David Jones, Sydney, where models wore fifty original creations by Christian Dior. This was the first complete Dior collection to be shown outside of Paris.

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The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture is accompanied by a scholarly publication, a dynamic program of talks, tours and events and the curated NGV Friday Nights program, featuring live music, food and performances.

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In celebration of the seventieth anniversary of The House of Dior’s debut spring-summer 1947 collection, the National Gallery of Victoria presents the never-before-seen exhibition The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International from 27 August to 7 November 2017.

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Exclusive to Melbourne, the exhibition is a collaboration between the NGV and the House of Dior, Paris, and features a sumptuous display of over 140 garments from Christian Dior Couture designed between 1947 and 2017.

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The NGV has announced that two Dior haute couture works, especially commissioned for and acquired by the gallery, will be on display in the exhibition. They are Essence d’Herbier from the spring–summer 2017 collection, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Look 10, Bar coat from the autumn-winter 2012–13 collection, designed by Raf Simons.

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To celebrate the opening, the NGV is also delighted to welcome artisans from the Christian Dior Couture atelier in Paris, who will be working on couture garments in the exhibition space during the first and last weeks of the exhibition, demonstrating the extraordinary technical skills of Christian Dior Couture.

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Other highlights include examples from Christian Dior’s iconic spring 1947 ‘New Look’ collection, which is considered a groundbreaking moment in the history of fashion, magnificent displays of Dior’s signature ballgowns and evening dresses, as well as recent designs from the House’s first female Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri.

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Drawing primarily on material from the House of Dior archive and the NGV Collection, the exhibition also features accessories, sketches, photographs, haute couture toiles (prototypes) and multimedia.

The exhibition narrates the rich history of the fashion house, including Christian Dior’s early influences, the design codes synonymous with Dior, and the milestones of its six successive designers following Christian Dior’s sudden death in 1957. These comprise of Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

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The exhibition will also explore Dior’s unique affinity with Australia, including the historic spring 1948 fashion parade at David Jones, Sydney, which featured 50 original creations by Christian Dior. This was the first representative Dior collection to be shown outside of Paris.

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There will also be a section dedicated to fabulous accessories, particularly shoes and millinery. This room will highlight the work of Stephen Jones, who has created elaborate headpieces for John

Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri. For this exhibition, Jones has also designed over 50 bespoke headpieces, which can be seen throughout the display.

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Featuring one of the NGV’s most ambitious exhibition designs to date, the display features a grand, sweeping staircase leading to a mezzanine level from which visitors can enjoy a birds-eye view of the vast array of garments on show. This feature is inspired by the iconic staircase from the Paris couture house that has featured in countless photoshoots and fashion parades over the House’s seventy-year history.

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The exhibition opening will be celebrated with the inaugural NGV Gala, a ticketed, black-tie ball on Saturday 26 August 2017. The proceeds from this event will go toward supporting the NGV Fashion and Textiles Collection.

The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture will be at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia from 27 August to 7 November 2017. Tickets on sale now from NGV.MELBOURNE.

Member $22 | Adult $26 | Concession $23.50 | Child (5–15 years) $10 |

Family (2 adults + 3 children) $65.

Organised by the National Gallery of Victoria and Christian Dior Couture.