Christian Dior and roses: an exhibit traces the couturier's floral inspiration

An exhibition dedicated to the floral inspirations of designer Christian Dior will open in Granville, France, on June 5.

Entitled "Dior and roses," the exhibition is a tribute to the source of inspiration for much of the couturier's work and that of his successors, in the realms of both fashion and fragrance. The exhibit will be on display at Granville's Christian Dior museum.

More than a simple flower, the rose is testimony to the passion for gardening that Christian Dior discovered in his childhood home of Les Rhumbs Villa in Granville. It is also the color of his family home,  the building "plastered in a very soft pink."

The exhibition will focus on Dior couture, accessories and perfumes, and also on art. It looks at the importance of roses in the life and career of the great French couturier, and his successors, from Yves Saint Laurent to Maria Grazia Chiuri via Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, and Raf Simons.

Among the pieces presented are the Antibes ensemble, signed Christian Dior, from the spring-summer 1955 Haute Couture collection, entirely covered in roses; the Manuela dress in coral silk faille adorned with a rose at the waist, signed Christian Dior by Yves Saint Laurent, from the spring-summer 1959 Haute Couture collection; but also, much more recently, a sumptuous embroidered tulle dress, signed Christian Dior by Maria Grazia Chiuri, from the spring-summer 2020 ready-to-wear collection.

On the accessories side, visitors will appreciate the Bal de Mai necklace designed by Victoire de Castellane for Dior Haute Joaillerie in 2011, as well as a Lady Dior handbag, signed by Christian Dior by John Galliano, dating from the year 2000. The exhibition will also highlight a selection of perfumes, including an exceptional edition of Miss Dior, Christian Dior's first perfume created in 1947, in which the rose is an integral part of the composition. Artworks and objects, as well as a series of portraits will complete the exhibition.

A tribute will also be paid to the great French couturier's younger sister, Catherine Dior, his muse and confidante, who also developed a passion for flowers over time to the point of making it her profession.