2 October 2015

Bien sûr. It is a suit, not a fish.


La Révolution du New Look


Christian Dior Museum
Granville France



12th February 1947. Avenue Montaigne, Paris.
A Spring/Summer show by a new French designer.

Life Magazine reported ‘New French designer is surprise success at first showing’.
Carmel Snow, editor of Harper’s Bazaar, wrote to Monsieur Dior; ‘Your dresses have such a new look!’
This show made it impossible for American buyers to ignore the Paris shows.
US Vogue, April 1947, remarked that the construction and cut of the New Look was a great boon to those who were not entirely happy with what nature had handed out to them.






Bar was one of seven afternoon suits shown that day. It was named after the bar in the Hôtel Plaza Athénee and reflected Diors wish to embrace the post war era, whilst combining a look back at turn of the century Paris and its fashions. The suit sold in 1947 for equivalent of £2400, compared to £6500 for a HC suit now (my figures, given for comparison purposes only). Pierre Cardin was a young member of the work room in 1947. He was sent by Dior to buy sheets of cotton wool used as padding in the construction of the jackets. Allegedly Dior took a hammer to a mannequin form to sculpt it into the shape he desired. Subsequently Stockman, the manufacturers, created mannequins for him to his specific requirements. Miss Dior perfume was launched in 1947 and gave its  fragrance to the salons, its amphora shaped bottle as curvy as the New Look.

This exhibition is beautifully staged and contains the usual breathtaking collection of Dior garments. I especially liked the wonderfully evocative tableau of that day in Avenue Montaigne. Clothes from contemporary designers were used to dress mannequins to provide an ‘audience’ at the NL show. All were perfectly accessorised with hats, bags, shoes and jewels to give a black and white snapshot of the salon on the day that Bar had its first walk. A photograph shows preparations for the S/S 1947 show. A seamstress kneels in front of a model wearing ‘Soiree’ making final adjustments, while a seated Dior and entourage watch. Step ladders and a vacuum cleaner lie about and the chairs are in disarray. Next day during the show the room is packed. Photos show the audience sitting on chairs, standing in corners, looking over people’s shoulders. There is a huge flower arrangement on the mantelpiece. More than one notebook is open and poised. No catwalk, the models walked round amongst the chairs. Largely women with a few men. Most ladies wore small veiled hats, gloves and furs and pearls and skirts just on the knee. Exactly what would become the Old Look by the end of the show. How lucky we are to be able to see photographs of it all. The pictures were taken by Pat English, a photographer from Life magazine.  She had been a model before she became a photographer..this surely helped her in her work that day. 

Two painted silhouettes on the glass of one case compared the differences between OL and NL. vis;





Old Look; medium size hat. Discrete bust line.
Broad shoulders. Skirt narrow and short, 40 cm from the ground.
Platform shoes.

New Look;  large hats worn towards the front of the head.
Natural shoulders, moulded bust.
Wasp waist. Rounded hips. Very full skirt, hem 30/36 cm off ground.
High heeled shoes.











Hollywood was represented by actress Rita Hayworth. Dior had shown ‘Soirée’ at the S/S 1947 show. An evening dress from the Corolle line, navy taffeta with black point d’esprit tulle. Miss Hayworth had one in beige with white spots, which she wore to a ‘Gilda ‘gala. (Gilda was a film noir from 1946 that starred RH). She bought twelve Dior outfits at this time and there was an example on display of a suit she had purchased. Black with a hip length belted jacket with pom pom details on hem, jacket edge and cuffs. Original magazines open in the case showed how the world at the time had seen her in the clothes.

The Museum presents the whole story of Dior clothes.  Not just finished articles, but toiles showing how a jacket is constructed. An interactive display showed  pieces of a pattern that were presented like a jigsaw assembling itself and the finished coat is there beside you to see in all its glory.
The information at the museum gives us glimpses into Dior the man. In the 30’s and 40’s he had worked as a theatrical and cinema designer. He enjoyed using historical references…. the wasp waist of Belle Époque; and dance imagery; the fullness of fabric allowing skirts to swirl... just as a ballet costume would.

A tiny case in a corner held two dolls. One in a grey blue silk cocktail frock and the other in a coatdress of sand coloured georgette crêpe. Both dolls have designer labels in their dresses as they are couture garments made by the House. These Mademoiselles are Christmas presents given in 1949 by Dior to the daughters of a friend.

As I left, not having read about the Plaza Athénee reference at that point,  I asked a member of staff… Why Bar? Why was it named that?
She told me that ‘Bar’ is an outfit to wear to go out socially, for example to visit a bar.
Then she added that some French speakers think the name has something to do with fish….bar is the French for bass.
And in understanding that sentence, I realised that doing my French homework had been worth it after all…

Museum and Garden Christian Dior
Villa les Rhumbs
1 Rue d’Estouteville.
50400 Granville
France

www. Musee-dior-granville.com
musee@museechristiandior.fr

With my very grateful thanks to Musée Christian Dior for permission to use these photographs.