The V&A announces Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition next year

The exhibition will be titled Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams and will run in February 2019 in an exhibition that aims to “uncover Dior’s relationship with Britain”.

The exhibition will reimagine the Christian Dior: Couturier du Rêve, organised by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, for the V&A space. It will explore the designer’s life, spanning from 1947 to present day, looking at his first fashion show at London’s Savoy hotel, Princess Margaret’s dress worn for her 21st birthday, and at the fashion house through the ages, including its six artistic directors who have succeeded him. It will also be accompanied by a new V&A publication.

Oriole Cullen, Fashion and Textiles Curator at the V&A, says: “In 1947, Christian Dior changed the face of fashion with his ‘New Look’, which redefined the female silhouette and reinvigorated the post-War Parisian fashion industry. The V&A recognised Dior’s important contribution to design history early-on in his career, acquiring his sketches and garments from the 1950s onwards. The influence of Christian Dior’s design was all-pervasive and helped to define an era”.

Tim Reeve, Deputy Director and COO of the V&A, said: “Reimagining this hugely popular exhibition from Paris – as the largest fashion exhibition the V&A has undertaken since Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty – will shed new light on Dior’s fascination with Britain. We are delighted to be able to reveal highlights from our outstanding collection alongside those from the remarkable archive of the House of Dior, for this spectacular exhibition.”

Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams runs from 2 February – 14 July 2019. Tickets will go on sale in autumn 2018.