Dior + Balenciaga: The Kings of Couture and Their Legacies

This exhibition features fashions by Christian Dior (1905-1957) and Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972), the two most important couturiers of the mid-twentieth century. Featuring objects drawn solely from The Museum at FIT’s permanent collection, this exhibition is the first to juxtapose the work of these legendary designers, side-by-side.

Their backgrounds and working methodologies were markedly different, yet Dior and Balenciaga concurrently produced fashions that captured the era’s hunger for luxury and elegance. They also led the restoration of France’s profitable fashion industry after the devastation of two world wars and a crippling economic depression.

Fashion enthusiasts will recognize Dior’s Belle Époque inspired dresses built upon corsets and crinolines and Balenciaga’s brilliantly crafted and voluminous coats and dresses. Viewers may, however, be surprised to see remarkable similarities in some of the pairings, making immediate attributions less obvious. The couturiers’ shared vocabulary can be seen in the juxtaposition of wool day dresses, boxy suits, and voluminous evening dresses. We ask the viewer: without looking at the labels, can you correctly guess the designer of each garment, Balenciaga or Dior?

This curatorial exploration and re-evaluation of these kings of couture—Dior and Balenciaga—also includes designs by subsequent creative directors of the houses they founded, including Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Demna Gvesalia, and Maria Grazia Chiuri.