WORLD OF BRITISH POST-WAR FASHION
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Charlize Theron wore this rhinestoneencrusted dress in an advert for J’adore Dior perfume. The Oscar-winning actress looked stunning in the gold gown of nude crinkled silk chiffon with a plunging back which was encrusted with more than 20,000 beads and sequins and 250 rhinestones. House in East Lothian. The V&A exhibition traces Dior’s prominence from 1947 to the present day, as brand ambassadors such as Charlize Theron help to attract a new army of fashionistas. It also includes more than 50 0 objects and 200 rare haute couture garments as wel l as accessor ies , fashion p h o t og r aphy, f i lm, perfume and personal items belonging to Dior. The 21st birthday dress he created for Princess Margaret in 1951 is the centrepiece of a section dedicated to Britain. With gowns f lowing from the waist, his look used fabrics lined predominantly with bustier- style bodices, hip padding, wasp-waisted corsets and petticoats. Jade said: “Working women simply could not go about their chores in his clothes. But he made women look incredibly feminine. “His designs caused havoc when they arrived in the UK. There was a scandal because the dresses in his Princess t’s off-theMargare her gown for shoulder party in 1951 birthday us 21st glamoro ted the accentua Shechose ’s beauty. princess embroid ered, to wear the fairytale shoulder off-the- gown in her couture portrait by birthday Beaton. Cecil collection called New Look used so much fabric. This was during a time of rationing.
“The Queen and Princess Margaret were desperate to get their hands on them but the UK government wanted to ban it because it was so profligate. Princess Margaret did, of course, get her hands on a famous dress.”
Jade said many fashion historians agree that while the war advanced the cause of womanhood, Dior’s New Look marked a return to impractical clothes.
She said: “Despite this, his designs reinvigorated the fa sh ion indus t r y and reasserted Paris as the centre of fashion and culture.
“While Paris was occupied during the war, London took over and the London bespoke luxury sector gained traction. In terms of fashion industry, it was in London in England and Glasgow in Scotland. Glasgow was the centre and where the best retailers were.”
The designer, who died of a heart attack in 1957, knew the power of a beautiful dress for customers, whether they lived in France’s capital or a Scottish town.
He once said: “Deep in every heart slumbers a dream and the courtier knows it – every woman is a princess.” Jennifer Lawrence tripped in this dusty pink dress on her way to accept her Best Actress Oscar for her role in Silver Linings Playbook at the 2013 Academy Awards. Miranda Kerr’s hand-embroidered Mikado-silk gown was inspired by the one Grace Kelly wore when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956. The model wore it at her wedding to Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel in 2017.
Rihanna wore a pink shift dress when she was announced as the face of Dior in 2015. The singer wore the classically cut gown with chunky accessories when she became Dior’s first black spokeswoman.