For any follower of fashion, the name Christian Dior is one synonymous with iconic style.
Now the legendary fashion house, which recently marked 70 years in the industry, is throwing open its doors with a comprehensive exhibition spanning it’s history.
Christian Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture, currently showing at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, tells the story of the famed house from its inception through to the present.
The exhibition features a stunning collection of imagery including this portrait of a couture creation by John Galliano for Christian Dior
Other breath-taking images on display include this Raf Simmons for Dior bar coat
The incredible creation forms part of the 140 garment collection on show
The exhibition also showcases the work of milliner Stephen Jones, who has created elaborate headpieces for Dior creative directors John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri.
On display are couture creations by its founder, Christian Dior, as well as the seven designers who have headed up the label since.
The retrospective features stunning pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and its first female creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Here, Femail takes a behind-the-scenes look at some of the signature gowns, breath-taking evening dresses and dramatic designs that make up this impressive exhibition.
Scroll for video
Christian Dior mannequins in the salon of House of Dior’s headquarters, 30 Avenue Montaigne, Paris 1957
Installation view of The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International, 27 August–7 November 2017
Installation view of The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International, 27 August–7 November 2017
The retrospective also features gowns worn by celebrities including Miranda Kerr Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman and Jennifer Lawrence.
‘The exhibition will invite Australian and international audiences to discover some of the most significant couture designs of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries,’ said Tony Ellwood,’ director of the NGV.
Miranda Kerr wearing the long-sleeved high-necked satin gown on her wedding day earlier this year
The absolutely beautiful Grace Kelly-inspired wedding dress was designed by current Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri
Nicole Kidman (pictured) alongside her 1997 John Galliano for Dior gown which features in the exhibition
Installation view of The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International, 27 August–7 November 2017
‘The exhibition will be a celebration of Dior’s most landmark moments and designs, including their iconic ‘New Look’ silhouette, which revolutionised women’s fashion in the 1950s, through to the present-day contemporary aesthetic.’
In addition to the 140 garments on display, the exhibition will have on display a vast array of accessories, sketches, photographs, and other archival material.
It will also feature the work of milliner Stephen Jones, who has created elaborate headpieces for Dior creative directors John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Installation view of The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International, 27 August–7 November 2017
Installation view of The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International, 27 August–7 November 2017
Installation view of The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International, 27 August–7 November 2017
Installation view of The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International, 27 August–7 November 2017
The comprehensive showcase is also set to include special artisans from the Christian Dior Couture atelier in Paris.
The highly-skilled craftspeople will be working on couture garments at various times during the exhibition, demonstrating their extraordinary technical abilities.
A sketch by Christian Dior for the autumn−winter 1949 haute couture collection
The exhibition will have on display a vast array of accessories including shoes and hats
Signage from the Christian Dior parade at David Jones, Sydney, August 1948
The National Gallery Victoria exhibition will also tell the Australian story of Dior, where in 1948 David Jones hosted a Sydney fashion parade of 50 Christian Dior creations – the first complete collection to be shown outside Paris.
The iconic department store still takes inspiration from the famed fashion house today with its signature houndstooth branding.
House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture is on at NGV International, 27 August–7 November 2017