Object: Dress
Brand:
Christian Dior
(French, founded 1947)
Designer:
Christian Dior
(1905 - 1957)
Date: c. 1950
Medium: Blue silk chiffon and ivory silk organza
Country: France
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Tilly Friedman
Object number: 85.172.3
DescriptionTwo-piece dress in navy blue silk chiffon on ivory silk organza; fichu collared sleeveless bodice with matching full skirt
Label Text:Dior's prime concerns were silhouette and form, and he admitted that he could happily produce all of his collections in black or white. "Colour cannot transform a failure of a dress into a success, " he said. "It merely plays a supporting role in a cast where the cut is the star performer." While Dior was famously inspired by memories of his beautiful mother dressed in the elaborate fashions of the Belle Époque, his approach to color was less personal. He often claimed to choose a season's palette from the samples presented to him by manufacturers. It is impossible to know whether blue was a conscious choice for this particular dress, but for centuries this same deep blue has been linked in western history with the feminine ideal - in particular, with the Virgin Mary. Medieval artists frequently used this blue for the Virgin's robes, since that was the most expensive pigment. Through this repeated association, blue has become the color of tranquility, peace, and faith.
Exhibitions:
- Global Fashion Capitals