Dior Retrospective
Yes, that’s exactly who you believe it is—the famous Dior “Bar Suit”. Not sure how the name came about, but that’s what she’s called. This is the item that thrust-relatively unknown, Christian Dior, into the forefront of the fashion world in 1947.
Not everyone was in love with Dior. His first showing at his recently established “house” didn’t meet approving eyes by all. Some felt that the ridiculously large amounts of fabric his designs required was appalling, especially because most places around the world had become use to textile rationing-along with everything else.
Dior said he designed based on flowers and the shape of women. Flowers tend to have slender lower halves—full blossomed at the top. Cinch waists and full flowing busts.
When I walked into the retrospective in Denver-the Bar Suit is the first item you see on display. Quite a shocker-for whatever reason I expected to have to “look” for it or that she would be somewhere each in the display-not standing at the front door.
But, it made perfect sense. And she was a delight to see.
Before Dior, haute couture truly a dying art.
The Bar Suit
By Christian Dior
The 2018 Dior retrospective, “Dior: From Paris to the World,” in Denver, Colardo at the Denver Art Museum, in a couple of words was a “visual treat”.
Most came to see beautiful dresses and other fashion artifacts designed by Christian Dior and other creative directors of Christian Dior since his death in 1957, such as Yves Saint Laurent and Raf Simons.
They were there in all their glory.
What may have went unnoticed or viewed as an odditity amongst the elaborateness surrounding them was a wall display of hanging jackets and dresses. Each plainly sewn in white cotton muslin.
Those plain Janes, were the workboards of the elaborate haute couture surrounding them.
In the US, they’re commonly referred to as muslins. In France, toiles.
In absence of these designer working templates, there is no haute couture.
They were the most important items in the room.
Even though none of the toiles on display were made by Christian himself, there were plenty on display by John Galliano.
During vintage dressmaking workshops at Inigo, participants learn about toiles, how they’re used, their purpose and their importance to hand sewing and couture, including making one of their own using a vintage sewing pattern as a template. Or working one up byway of a draping class.
The toiles on display during the Denver retrospective were pampered versions; most likely not the first muslins of the workups, but still beautiful actual examples of the artist’s visions on what was to come later, a final rendition in all of its completed, finalized glory.
Toiles from the Dior retrospective in Denver, Colorado