The Art Society in Malta will hold a lecture on Christian Dior by Ann Haworth on January 9 at the Salini Resort Hotel.
On February 12, 1947, Christian Dior emerged from the long shadows cast by WWII to present his inaugural collection of haute couture in his new Maison Dior on Paris’s chic Avenue Montaigne. Officially called the Corolle Collection, a name which evoked a circle of petals, it was immediately acclaimed as ‘The New Look’ and caused a sensation which resounded throughout Paris, London and New York.
Ann HaworthDior’s creative brilliance had been developed and nurtured within Robert Piguet’s and Lucien Lelong’s venerable Parisian fashion houses; his designs were suffused by a love of art and flowers.
The luxury evoked by Corolle epitomised a longed-for femininity with elegant shoulders, full skirts and narrow waists. Christian Dior was propelled into the spotlight of fashion and his subsequent collections and exquisite designs would go on to define a decade.
Audiences were enchanted by his use of beautiful fabrics and silhouettes, immaculate tailoring and hand-stitched details. After Christian Dior’s passing in 1957, a young Yves Saint Laurent succeeded his mentor as head designer at la Maison Dior, to be followed in turn by Marc Bohan. As the 1960s progressed, Bohan’s sleek sophisticated designs reflected the decade’s ardent spirit of modernity while retaining the originality and spellbinding beauty created by Dior himself.
Ann Haworth is a lecturer at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The hugely popular exhibition Christian Dior, Designer of dreams ran from February to September 2019. Ms Haworth gave a number of talks and tours during the course of the exhibition.
Spanning 1947 to the present day, this exhibition traced the history and impact of one of the 20th century’s most influential couturiers, exploring the enduring influence of the fashion house, and Dior’s relationship with Britain.
January 9 from 6.30 to 8pm at the Salini Resort Hotel. Members: Free/Non-members: €15 at the door. The Art Society in Malta (ASinMalta) asinmalta@theartssociety.org; www.facebook.com/maltadecorativeandfineartsociety