Inside Christian Dior's Retrospective Exhibition

“Christian Dior: couturier de réve” opened in Paris with a star-studded affair. The exhibition, billed as the largest of its kind ever staged by the museum, officially opens today, and features over 300 haute couture gowns, spanning the seven designers of the house from Dior through to Maria Grazia Chiuri.

See photos from the opening party here.

The exhibit, which spans an impressive 32,000square feet, is equal parts fashion extravaganza and museum, not only displaying the beautiful works of the brilliant Maison, but also putting them into historical context, and lays out the works chronologically, starting with a never-before-seen collection from Dior’s early years. Each of the House’s designers, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano and Raf Simons, have a unique room that celebrates their mastery of craft.

Read our interview with Maria Grazia Chiuri here.

Perhaps the most touching element of this retrospective is the recreated facade of the Maison’s flagship on the Avenue Montaigne. The clothes on display don’t belong to the House, but other designers like Thom Browne, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and more, symbolising the dramatic effect Dior’s New Look had on creatives around the world.

Dior’s own designs are sprinkled throughout the exhibition, symbolising the thread of continuity that each designer had: that of the Dior spirit.

“Christian Dior, designer of dreams” is open to the public through January 7, 2018.