The first stop after settling into our hotel in Paris was just around the corner: La Galerie Dior. This museum devoted to all things Dior opened in March 2022, following the enormous success of the exhibition “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams,” which toured the world shortly before. The museum occupies the same block of Avenue Montaigne where Christian Dior launched his fashion house in 1946, and it was just steps from our hotel, Hotel San Regis.
One of the features we had seen in the London exhibition in 2019 was a spectacular wall of dresses, shoes, handbags, and other accessories, all arranged by color. That display has become a focal point of La Galerie Dior, winding around the circular staircase at the heart of the museum. Individual galleries on each level showcase additional gowns, fabric selections, sketches, and designs, giving visitors a glimpse into the creative process behind the legendary house.
We were also fortunate to catch the end of a special exhibition, “Azzedine Alaïa’s Dior Collection.” Alaïa was an extraordinary designer in his own right, but he was also an avid admirer and collector of Dior’s work. If you are not familiar with Alaïa, you may remember one of the most memorable pop-culture references to his designs from the movie Clueless. Alicia Silverstone’s character, Cher, is ordered by a mugger to get down on the pavement, but she is more concerned about ruining her red dress.
“Oh no, you don’t understand, this is an Alaïa.”
The confused robber responds, “An a-what-a?” to which Cher replies, “It’s like a totally important designer.”
It is a funny moment in the movie, but Alaïa was, of course, much more than a fashion reference. In addition to being a highly respected designer, he was a passionate collector of fashion history. His foundation has amassed approximately 600 Dior pieces, 140 of which were brought together for this exhibition.
Seeing these pieces together offered an interesting glimpse into Alaïa’s own appreciation of Dior. The collection reflected not only Dior’s remarkable legacy but also the discerning eye of a designer who understood the importance of fashion history. It was an impressive exhibition and gave us the opportunity to see even more of the work of a man whose designs remain so distinctive and emblematic of the height of Parisian fashion.
