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Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,221
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Apparently the Victoria and Albert museum is having a retrospective of the clothes of legendary haute couture designer Christian Dior.  Here's the dress Princess Margaret wore on her 21st birthday:

 

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So many luminaries loved and wore Dior, including Princess Margaret and the beautiful English ballet star, Margot Fonteyn.  (Slightly off-topic-- his various perfumes, esp. the lily-of-the-valley haunted "Diorissimo" have been favorites of mine-- hope they haven't messed with the formulas like with other classic scents...)

 

Here's his day look "Bar Suit",  part of his New Look of the late Forties, with the typical tiny (19 inch) waist and full, sweeping skirt.

web-Christian-Dior-1905–57-Bar-Suit-Haute-Couture-SpringSummer-1947-Corolle-Line.-Photo-c-Laziz-Hamani.-Victoria-and-Albert-Museum-London-1-1068x915.jpg

His voluptuous "Fete Joyeuse" evening dress, 1955

web-Christian-Dior-1905-57-Fête-joyeuse-Evening-Dress-Haute-Couture.-SpringSummer-1955-A-Line.-Photo-c-Laziz-Hamani.-Victoria-and-Albert-Museum-London.jpg

 

Here's a fun historical photo of him fitting something on model "Sylvie" in 1948:

web-Christian-Dior-with-model-Sylvie-circa-1948.-Courtesy-of-Christian-Dior-Copy-1068x1517.jpg

 

The blurb I'm reading on the exhibit mentions the Frenchman Dior's fascination with things English-- everything from the gardens, the ocean liners (like the Queen Mary), and Savile Row suits.  Nice that a French artisan of his level appreciated so much of English culture....  And the English seemed to return the favor with him...

 

Women with hour-glass shapes must have found his "New Look" quite flattering to their figures.

web-Écarlate-afternoon-dress-Autumn-Winter-1955-Haute-Couture-collection-Y-line.-Victoria-and-Albert-Museum-London.-Photo-©-Laziz-Hamani-1068x1018.jpg

 

I think such an exhibit would be huge fun to attend...

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,203
Registered: ‎06-16-2015

The V & A museum is my favorite of all the museums in London. They have a fabulous collection of fashion and jewelry though the decades. I wish I could have stayed longer when I was there. It was fabulous.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 935
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

I took a picture of this most unusual museum as I walked Queen Victoria Street.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go in, but it was so striking I had to have a picture.

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,930
Registered: ‎06-30-2014

@Oznell 

I so enjoyed this post : )

Thanks for sharing ~

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,048
Registered: ‎06-14-2010

I'm sure this would be a wonderful journey through Dior's designs.  The gowns shown in thie pictures are stunning!

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,407
Registered: ‎07-07-2010

@Oznell  Thanks for posting--love the fashions!  We should go!

The next time that I hear salt and ice together, it better be in a margarita!
Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎07-09-2011

@Oznell 

 

Thank you for posting.

The V & A is my favorite London museum.  Never run out of beautiful things to enjoy.

Send DH to someplace else so I can meander ‘till closing. 😉

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras
Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,758
Registered: ‎01-18-2012

@Drythe   I love the V & A and DH loves the Natural History Museum So we both go our separate ways then meet for tea in Knightsbridge !

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,221
Registered: ‎11-08-2014

Re: OH TO BE IN LONDON

[ Edited ]

You guys are making me so envious-- when I was in London, I was to young and stupid to go to the V & A.

More Dior:

 

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Gosh, when you see a lot of his clothes together, you really get a sense of how intricate and baroque he was, and of course the craftsmanship, cutting, stitching, pleating etc. had to be phenomenal.  I doubt I'd ever be able to pull off the sheer drama of Dior-- but I love standing back and just enjoying it as art...

Honored Contributor
Posts: 41,469
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

@Oznell   Beautiful 

There are many elements: wind, fire, water
But none quite like the element of surprise