Christian Dior (Touring)

In celebration of the House of Dior’s 70th anniversary, Christian Dior explores the brilliance behind Dior’s dramatic creations that revived the entire Paris haute couture industry after the devastation of the Second World War. In 1947, the opening of the new couture house and the revolutionary “New Look” – with soft shoulders, padded hips and long, full skirts – swept away the wartime masculine silhouette making Christian Dior’s postwar fashions desired, worn and copied by women around the world.

Drawn from the ROM’s extensive collection of Christian Dior couture and supported by loans from Dior Heritage, Paris, the exhibition focuses on the period from 1947 to 1957 and offers a captivating insight into the creative process and the mechanics of the Paris haute couture industry during the 1950s. Christian Dior explores how and why Christian Dior’s iconic lines, such as the A and H-line, the masterful cuts, luxury textiles and romantic embroideries laid the foundation for the global success of the fashion house. Featuring breathtaking fashions from daytime to evening wear for grand occasions, visitors are invited to experience the exquisite craftsmanship, intricate detail, and inspired luxury designs by one of fashion’s greatest couturiers from this golden age of dressmaking.