Fashion News | The ROM with Holt Renfrew Presents: Christian Dior

When you say couture, I think Dior. When you say elegance, I think Dior. When you say glam, I think Dior. Celebrating the 70^th anniversary of House Dior, the Christian Dior exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum highlights the first decade of Dior’s haute couture collections from 1947 to 1957. This is the first time that the ROM has shown its Dior collection donated by Toronto socialites, many of whom wore them during the period.

Christian Dior’s fashion philosophy plays an important part in how clothes are made, worn and perceived in today’s society. Simplicity, good taste and grooming are three basic rules he followed when creating his first haute couture collection in 1947. He believed that all women could be elegant regardless of their finances.

Dior recognized the significance of craftspeople and manufacturers in the ancillary trades who played an essential part in the creation of haute couture garments. Fashion design isn’t just about creating clothes, it’s about understanding how materials and garments are made, understanding the target audience, specifically women of all shapes and sizes, and ultimately, pioneering something new and fresh in relation to the post-WWII period.

The style evolution of Dior represents the evolution of women. Fashion plays an integral role in telling our story and Christian Dior made it a priority to focus on how a woman could wear his designs, not the other way around. His show-stopping creations have empowered women from the very beginning. These days, it’s no different. Dior has gone down as one of the most iconic names in fashion for a reason.

Dior has undoubtedly been legitimized through its presence and careful eye for design. Dior flirts with the idea that any woman can be glamorous which ultimately creates the “wow factor” in any piece. While this exhibit showcases the excellence in design, it also demonstrates a brief history of the role of women, as we have carried ourselves throughout the years. The versatility and strength of a woman cannot be compromised when she is dressed in Dior.

As a history fanatic/enthusiast, I couldn’t help but geek out the second I laid my eyes on the first display in the exhibit. At one point, I found myself standing in the center of the exhibit, looked around and thought to myself, “there’s nearly 100 years of fashion history in this room alone.” There’s something so special about this exhibit for anyone to appreciate, especially if you are heavily immersed in the fashion world as we are.

Today (April 8th) is the last day for the exhibit at the ROM. To learn more about this exhibit, check out their website.

Have you been to the exhibit? Let us know in the comments!

 Designer Swap is Canada’s online luxury consignment shop and Toronto-based fashion blog. Find gently-used and pre-loved authentic designer pieces to purchase and read about the newest fashion, beauty, and lifestyle trends. Make sure to check us out on Instagram and Facebook!

Follow our blog with Bloglovin!

Photos courtesy of rom.on.ca and Donna-Marie Ieluzzi (via Samsung Galaxy S6)

Written by Donna-Marie Ieluzzi and Daniel Mangadap.