Life and Luxury at La Galerie Dior
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La Galerie Dior, an exhibition dedicated to the work of Christian Dior and his six successors, opened on March 9 at 30 Ave. Montaigne. The building housed the designer’s collections for over 70 years. The public opening of the gallery finalizes a two-year renovation of the building.
The gallery begins with an exploration through Christian Dior’s life within the designer fashion industry. Presenting 13 rooms with unique concentrations, the exhibition explores a variety of Dior’s inspirations, creations, collaborations, and desires.
“The exhibit was actually in New York before it came to Paris,” said Carleigh Solomon, a visiting student from the University of South Carolina. “I heard noise about it over there and was waiting for it to come to Paris,” the twenty-year-old added.
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Image credit: Molly Wilhelm
Solomon’s favorite part of the exhibition was a room she compared to the Sistine Chapel. “There was a display of beautiful dresses, and it was so divine and serene,” Solomon said.
Solomon recommends the gallery to other students and Paris residents. “I think it was the most beautiful fashion exhibit I have seen so far,” Solomon said. “One can learn about different styles through the decades and appreciate the beauty that is Dior.”
First-person quotes from the luxury designer are displayed in each room of the exhibit. “Creation is the ensemble of a thousand and one things, it’s a thousand and one skills gathered around the couturier,” Dior said, quoted on an exhibition plaque within room number six of the gallery, titled ‘The Ateliers of Dreams.’
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Image credit: Molly Wilhelm
One of the rooms is specifically dedicated to Parisian influence on the French designer’s work. Titled ‘Paris,’ the room is painted black with a lighted skyline of the city centered upon the walls.
“Paris was an inexhaustible source of inspiration for Monsieur Dior,” the exhibition plaque read. “The air of Paris is really the air of couture,” Dior said, quoted on the same exhibition plaque.
The gallery tour ends in Café Dior, where visitors are invited to dine after exiting. A Dior restaurant and boutique are situated nearby.
To visit The Dior Gallery, you must book your ticket online in advance. Tickets are available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekly, except on Tuesdays when the exhibition is closed. Full-price tickets cost 12 euro per person. To read more about the life of Christian Dior, visit the Dior webpage. Access to a virtual display of 30 Ave. Montaigne is also available here.