Galerie Dior
11bis rue François 1er, 8th arrondissement
Open day by day besides Tuesdays from 11am-7pm, final entrance at 5:30pm.
Vacation closures: January 1st, Might 1st, and December 25th.
M° Franklin D. Roosevelt or Alma Marceau
Tel 01 82 20 22 00
www.galeriedior.com
Opened in Spring 2022, La Galerie Dior is a museum that covers the dazzling historical past of one in all France’s most legendary maisons de couture, from its founding by namesake Christian Dior in 1946 via to the current day, utilizing pictures and objects, but in addition room after room of beautiful robes, many by no means earlier than exhibited to most of the people.
The Dior museum in Paris, known as La Galerie as a result of Christian Dior started his profession as an artwork gallery proprietor in 1928 — lengthy earlier than he was a couturier — the place he exhibited artists resembling Max Ernst, Matisse, Miro and Salvador Dali. The 1929 monetary disaster quickly introduced his household’s fortune – and the gallery – to an finish, and for years he labored as a vogue illustrator and designer for different vogue homes, earlier than he lastly opened his personal high fashion home in 1946 “beneath the eaves” of the now well-known 30 Avenue Montaigne hôtel particulier, launching the now iconic “New Look” in 1947.
The doorway of the Galerie Dior is positioned across the nook from the flagship retailer, on the Avenue François Ire. It’s unfold out over 2000m² (approx. 21,500ft²) on three ranges, with 13 rooms you go to in a particular order (no random wandering round). The massive entrance consists of a spiral staircase diorama with a rainbow of 1874 iconic Dior creations, recreated in 3D-printed miniatures.
The museum takes you thru the comparatively brief historical past of Christian Dior – he died immediately of a coronary heart assault in October 1957, so barely a decade after his first high fashion present – then via the evolution of the Dior model because it continued beneath seven different inventive administrators, together with Yves Saint Laurent (who was initially Dior’s assistant), John Galliano (clearly no point out of his profession meltdown and dismissal), and the Italian couturier, Maria Grazia Chiuri, who’s on the helm right this moment.
It’s theatrical and magical, like a cross between a vogue present and a go to to Disneyland. You’ll be able to simply see how gardens (particularly from his household’s residence the place he grew up in Granville), artwork, and even Marie-Antoinette impressed his creations. When you take the time to learn the data panels (in French and English), you’ll be able to go in figuring out nothing and really feel like an knowledgeable on Dior whenever you depart. Permit at the very least two hours to get pleasure from all the rooms with out feeling rushed.
Every robe displayed within the museum has an outline of who designed it and when, but in addition who wore it and for which occasion. Along with the robes – so many robes! – you additionally get to see Dior’s workplace, a peek (via the glass flooring) into the unique atelier the place the couturiers labored, and a room devoted to the patterns and the designer’s sketches of the robes earlier than they had been dropped at life.
Dior needed to decorate a girl from head to toe, so fragrance has all the time been a giant a part of the model, and is represented in La Galerie Dior, with a whole room for J’Adore robes worn by Charlize Theron within the fragrance commercials.
On the finish there’s a café, solely open to the museum guests, the place you may get tea, espresso, pastries, mild meals…it’s a really informal place, though the costs will not be! A easy espresso is €8, and a glass of wine is €20. For a bit extra modern people-watching, you may as well try the newly opened restaurant, Monsieur Dior, at 32 Avenue Montaigne (open day by day 11;30am-8pm; Sunday till 7pm).
Sensible Info
Galerie Dior
11bis rue François 1er, 8th arrondissement
Open day by day besides Tuesdays from 11am-7pm, final entrance at 5:30pm.
Tickets are €12 (€8 when you’re 10-26 years previous); on-line reservations HIGHLY really useful: https://billetterie.galeriedior.com/
Vacation closures: January 1st, Might 1st, and December 25th.
The café is open 11:30am-6:30pm.
There’s a coat test for small objects, however suitcases and huge luggage aren’t allowed.
There’s additionally a Galerie Dior Present store across the nook at 28 Avenue Montaigne, open day by day 10am-8pm (Sundays 11am-7pm), with books and stationery objects.
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