Dior clothing steals Denver’s fashion spotlight

The Dior fashion house is one of the most revered clothing brands in the world.
Photo: Mariana Caicedo · *The Sentry*

Dior: From Paris to the World on display at Denver Art Museum

Christian Dior, French clothing designer and founder of one of the most revered fashion houses in the world, has come to the Denver Art Museum.

Dior: From Paris to the World consists of clothing ranging over 70 years, in chronological order, showcasing Dior and his collaborators’ evolving sense of fashion. Information about Dior’s life, personal letters, photos of his work, and sketches that he made are all present alongside the clothing and accessories.

Though Dior died suddenly of a heart attack in October of 1957, his fashion house has continued its global influence under multiple other creative directors.

As mentioned by the audio guides, Christian Dior was an intelligent man with a flair for the dramatic. Dior would often have all black and gray clothing in a show, then suddenly bring out a brightly colored dress. Audiences would never know what to expect; Dior kept people hooked.

“The Flower Line,” some of his earliest work, is the first clothing presented in the exhibit. It consists of dark and black clothing that emphasize a woman’s natural curves by using padding around the waist. The folds in the skirts and dresses take on the shape of flower petals.

Other pieces of his early work shown by the museum include the “In Flight Line.” This line features ruffles incorporated into the jackets. They’re also shorter and more open in a way that the back sticks up slightly to create the illusion of it being lifted. The skirts on these outfits are narrow to balance out the dramatics of the jackets.

A lot of clothing after Dior’s death was inspired by paintings. One example of this is called “Trompe-l’oeil,” which was inspired by Claude Monet, the French impressionist painter.

One dress that stands out from the rest has many layers of white flowers with patches of dark purples and a vibrant pinks.

Gianfranco Ferré, creative director from 1989 to 1996, took his inspiration from the Baroque period. He used common aspects of Baroque art such as intense shadows and colors for his designs. An example of this is “Palladio,” a long white dress with the top modeled after the ornament at the top of a pillar.

The exhibit also delves into the complex clothes making process. Starting with hundreds of sketches, each piece is first made up in cotton. After the design is approved, a pattern is made for the clothing. Then, accessories are chosen and any trimming is done before the outfit is released to the world.

Organized in association with the Dallas Art Museum, Dior: From Paris to the World is a must see for fashion enthusiasts and the casual dresser alike.

Dior: From Paris to the World
on display until March 17
Denver Art Museum
denverartmuseum.org