My Experience at Dior: Designer of Dreams

Up until Tuesday February 12th, I was unable to say I had ever seen something so stunningly beautiful that I fell incapable of blinking. It's now the 18th of the month, almost a week later, and I still find myself losing my breath when pouring over the photographs and memories of the week before. Dior: Designer of Dreams, the current fashion exhibition on at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, was unlike any art instillation I had ever dreamed I would see. Instead of leaving with a pecking voice in my head telling me I didn't fully appreciate the history of what I just saw (something that seems to happen often after visiting museums and galleries), I left with an overwhelming awe struck high I can only attempt to put into words. It was a comparable feeling to having just been to a concert, play, or musical. I felt as though I had not only experienced something historic and visually gorgeous, but had been taken on a numbness inducing journey through a satin, silk, and swarovski filled wonderland. 

With ethereal music hovering above and the otherworldly curation of the ten room exhibit, it was unsurprising to hear gasps coming from the surrounding guests. Like having the wind knocked out of you in the most glamorous way possible, the variety of couture pieces shown in this one of a kind collection were intricate and untouchable in a way that makes the onlooker have to actively try and comprehend their existence. That's what I was attempting to do over the two hours I spent leisurely strolling through the glossy halls. At first I planned on nodding maturely, reading all the plaques, and conforming to the vision of the high class museum goer. One glance at the New Look dress, easily one of the most influential and groundbreaking pieces of clothing ever made, and I fell limp. "Accept it", I told myself, you're not going to look classy for this. I floated through the experience, jaw to the floor, holding back tears, becoming lighter and more joyous with each new room. I giggled to myself when I heard some elderly women label John Galliano's designs as "a little too out there", and I gained a new found appreciation for Maria Grazia Chiuri. 

Overall, it was a collective moment that reinstated and grew my love of fashion, and is something I'll never forget. If you have the chance to visit this V&A exhibition, take advantage of it. Walk through at snail pace until the security guards ask you to leave (very politely, might I add). Take as many moments as possible to pause and soak in all the beauty, and if you're like me, wonder how it would feel to wear the priceless pieces. Ponder how Dior and all it's artistic directors have somehow found their way, through overwhelming industry influence, into your wardrobe. And of course, take a seat at the end to watch the spectacular lighting effects.

Click here for more info on Dior: Designer of Dreams.




Thanks for reading.

- Emily