When he founded his couture house, Christian Dior had a splendid atmosphere and a refined and elegant harmony in mind, as if they could still emanate from the days of Marie Antoinette’s court. His unique regard, his sure taste and avant-garde spirit came together in what would later be called the esprit Dior. Ceaselessly pushing back the limits of dreams to accomplish the wishes of women, Christian Dior would draw his line in the sand of fashion history – starting with his very first fashion show where he definitively anchored himself in the great French tradition. His aesthetic revolution – the New Look – influenced fashion in an audacious way made of Corolle and En Huit lines that drew up the feminine silhouette like an architect structures the curves of a town. In post-war France, he was the one who signaled the arrival of a new aesthetic code: the bar ensemble, the 50s dress, and the essential houndstooth print quickly made his style and his reputation. Finally, the esprit Dior is a permanent creation, an artisanship at the service of excellence, a passion for service to women. The esprit Dior is a quest for beauty, for elegance, and since happiness can’t be invented, Christian Dior sought to conceive it.
From his very first collection onwards, Christian Dior had his eyes turned Eastwards. Now, the Middle Kingdom is highlighting his creativity in an event modestly entitled Esprit Dior. Diverse inspirations, the emblematic dresses that were the fruits of Dior’s labor, some arresting pieces – from the first creations, to those from the Saint-Laurent era in finishing by the most recent ones signed off on by Raf Simons – close to 100 pieces will be exhibited at the MOCA with different themes that condense the esprit Dior for the visitor. With a desire to be closest to the couturier’s essence, the exhibit also ties together his work with that of artists, just like he liked to collaborate with his friends Cocteau or Max Jacob. Photographer Patrick Demarchelier, and works by Chinese nationals Lin Tian Miao and Qiu Zhijie should also bump elbows with his creations. Each one in their own way gives an interpretation of this esprit Dior that oscillates between pink, red, the New Look, the H line, in short, between a love of women and a love of flowers.
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