THE ART OF FASHION
Shanghai-based exhibition “Esprit Dior” goes beyond capturing the multi-faceted life of Christian Dior. Rather, it also reminds us of a legacy that continues to live on.
Take a walk with BAZAAR through the “Esprit Dior” exhibition in Shanghai
At the entrance of the “Esprit Dior” exhibition stands a large black-andwhite portrait of Christian Dior by Chinese artist Zhang Huan. It depicts the late prolific fashion designer raising his hand in greeting, and at first glance, appears quite ordinary. Then the curator Florence Müller, who is walking us through the exhibition, reveals that it is made from incense ashes collected from thousands of Buddhist temples, and this instantly elevates it from a pretty piece of art to a unique masterpiece.
We are at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai, attending the official launch of “Esprit Dior,” an art and fashion exhibition which celebrates the life of the man behind the iconic Bar Jacket. It brings together almost 100 haute couture dresses, emblematic looks, accessories and perfumes, works by contemporary Chinese artists, and 100 iconic photographs of Patrick Demarchelier. The showcase also includes works from René Gruau and Christian Bérard.
“Esprit Dior” essentially unites the familiar and the unfamiliar. Demarchelier’s photos—breathtakingly beautiful testaments that prove Christian Dior was a visionary ahead of his time—need no introduction. The same goes for the haute couture dresses, and the Miss Dior perfume and the Lady Dior bag. The exceptions, are the works of the Chinese artists. Invited by the House to create art works that reflect their interpretation of the spirit of Dior, these commissioned pieces are thought-provoking. Of note, is an amazing installation by artist Lin Tianmiao. The latter attempts to show the connection between everyday tools and humans by personifying tools like scissors and clothes hangers.
Despite the multiple mediums presented, information overload it is not, as the exhibition is cleverly divided into nine themes, all of which reflect an aspect of Dior's life. But while he led a rich and deeply fulfilling life—beyond fashion, he loved art (he showed, sold and collected it, and some of his closest friends were artists), architecture, gardens and flowers—his life was no secret, and the challenge for any curator is to tell his story in a refreshingly different way. This, Müller and her team did magnificently well, as they delved deep into the roots of the House to present the very best of Dior. Müller, a fashion historian, is intimately connected to the House and has curated a number of its past exhibitions, including the “Christian Dior and Chinese Artists” exhibition in Beijing in 2008, its first large-scale exhibition in China.
Dior’s flower women with their voluptuous figures are at the heart of The Dior Garden section of the exhibition.
A one-on-one chat with her revealed that the exhibition “is meant to show the diversity of Dior’s life and each room [referring to the themes] reflects a different side of him.” She adds that an exhibition has to “touch people with its aesthetics and beauty” and that the objects in it “must speak for themselves.” Her biggest obstacle, she admits, was in making choices. There is always a finite amount of exhibition space, and so, for the haute couture dresses alone, she had to whittle down the number used from several hundred initial pieces.
Of the nine themes, there are two that really stood out: The Dior Garden and J’Adore. The former is linked to the couturier's love for nature, having grown up in a garden villa in Normandy. Naturally, Dior’s flower women with their voluptuous figures are at the heart of this section of the exhibition. Imagine a lush and bright depiction of colour through dresses, art and photographs.
J’Adore, is the final theme, incidentally also Müller’s favourite. Dior always loved gold and the element was present in the creations of the Avenue Montaigne couture house from the start. Upon stepping into the room, I personally was mesmerised by the arresting installation by Chinese artist Liu Jianhua featuring 3,000 J’adore bottles suspended above beautifully crafted dresses. They appeared like golden rain, glittering with enchantment.
And if the finale was meant to parallel Dior’s life, it couldn’t have been more apt. Everything in J’Adore reflected the glorious post-war ’50s—from shimmering dresses in metallic hues to Dermarchelier’s photos— and it was in this era that Dior had passed on. But his spirit lives on and continues to be much celebrated. Müller couldn’t have expressed it better when she gave us her personal take on the essence of Dior, “The Dior spirit is a vision of beauty and femininity that speaks to many people… it is based on the eternal notion of beauty and speaks to different cultures.”
The “Esprit Dior” exhibition runs through 10 November 2013 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai