The “So Dior” exhibition in Harrods is beautifully executed and totally inspiring, especially if you are a fashion and Haute couture lover. As soon as you come in you begin a journey into the Dior world, to the heart of excellence of one of the most revered and well known ateliers.
At the entrance some toiles (Samples garment made from inexpensive fabrics like muslin, calico and linen) of famous Dior creations greet everyone and put into perspective the immense importance of the “little hands”, the tailors and seamstresses, who help the designer to capture his ideas into the garments.
It goes on to reveal the historical links between the House of Dior and the United Kingdom. Christian Dior loved the English and had great admiration for England and all of its treasures, particularly for the royalty and Harrods. In 1953 at the department store the Fashion Theater served as the stage for presentations of Dior outfits. In the exhibition there is a scaled down evocation of this with almost 40 of Dior Haute Couture´s most emblematic silhouettes, reproduced in miniature form. From the legendary Bar ensemble to today´s designs by Raf Simons, it traces the evolution of the Dior line and its timeless modernity. You could spend hours just looking at the little mannequins wearing the Dior, Galliano or Yves Saint Laurent creations.
“So Dior” also focuses on the couturier-perfumier, starting with Miss Dior; its very first fragrance created in 1947, with Natalie Portman as the modern-day face of the brand. Then J´adore, whose famous amphora’shaped bottle evokes the femininity of the silhouettes the couturier adored. The predominance of gold recalls the refinement of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles the unforgettable setting around Charlize Theron, the icon of this precious perfume. The area dedicated to J´adore is quite impressive with a lot of mirrors, plenty of the perfume bottles on the floor and the dresses and stand out necklaces that Theron wore for the commercial.
Another interesting area of the exhibition is the one allocated to the stars today and the stars of yesterday, that come together to portray the glittering Dior galaxy. From Margot Fonteyn to Marion Cotillard or Audrey Hepburn the most beautiful talented women have accompanied the House of Dior from 1947 to the present, trusting in Dior to magnify their beauty.
And what could be more Dior than Lady Dior, the iconic handbag whose name pays homage to the Princess of Wales, Lady Di, its most exceptional ambassador. With its ever- renewed links to the contemporary art scene it serves as a fundamental bridge for a House whose founder was a visionary gallery owner before becoming a couturier.
As well as the exhibition, there was a Dior Cafe and a pop up store in the ground floor of Harrods, but it was a shame because I didn’t have time to try the menu.
I took plenty of pictures so, if you missed the exhibition and the shop windows, have a look at them and feel all the French glamour at least for a few minutes!! Enjoy!!
