Culture - 6/1/23
From Normandy to Paris by way of the Atlantic. For its new exhibition, the Granville Museum retraces the life of Christian Dior through the prism of the places that shaped his visionary creativity. An odyssey in three parts, spread over the three floors of the villa, offering a singular look at the destinations that influenced him and that he left his mark on.
"My childhood home was roughcast in a very soft pink, mixed with grey gravelling, and these two shades have remained my favourite colours in couture”.The first stop on this initiatory journey, Les Rhumbs villa – today dedicated to the memory of the couturier – forged his tastes and inspirations. In this preserved Eden, seton the cliffs facing the English Channel, he developed his love of art and decoration, but more particularly, alongside his mother Madeleine, that of flowers and gardens, which illuminated many of his collections. From the 1920s onwards, his destiny proceeded in the City of Light. Fascinated by its architecture, elegant lifestyle and effervescence, Paris was a natural choice for Christian Dior. On February 12, 1947, the revolutionaryNew Look and the name Dior were consecrated at 30, avenue Montaigne, in the heart of the GoldenTriangle, thus becoming inseparably linked to the French capital. A worldwide success, testifying to the avant-garde spirit of Monsieur Dior. The third and final part of this fabulous itinerary sails across seas and oceans to explore his international friendships – from London to New York and Tokyo. An unprecedented perspective exalting the refinement of Dior style combined with a passion for the plurality of cultures –embodied notably by dresses such as Asie and Mexique, staged within the exhibition.
This captivating narrative unveils precious archives – photographs, sketches, emblematic silhouettes and various other original documents – from the museum's collection and from Dior Heritage, as well as exceptional pieces from the Villa Montebello in Trouville-sur-Mer, the Museum of Art and History in Granville and the Fine Arts Museum in Saint-Lô. A unique event celebrating the patrimony, innovative oeuvre and insatiable curiosity of the couturier, perpetuating more than ever the Dior dream.
* The exhibition Christian Dior, the genius of a creator will be presented from April 29 to November 5, 2023
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