Dior
We visited the Kunstmuseum Den Haag to see the exhibition about Dior, A New Look. This text is a reflection of my experience, and some notes on fashion and Dior.
Prêt-à-porter translates to ready-to-wear in English. It is high quality fashion which is produced in factory. It is a common misconception that all ready to wear garments are mass produced. Prêt-à-Porter might not be mass produced but it is also not exclusive as it is available to wide variety of customers. These garments are made to vary in range, sizes and quality. These collections are created within the standard size chart so they can fit majority of people (IIFD, 2019).
Haute couture, a phrase that exudes the epitome of fashion refinement, holds far more significance than its literal translation of "high dressmaking" from French (haute meaning high, and couture meaning dressmaking). It epitomizes the essence of French luxury, where expertly handcrafted garments emerge as exquisite creations from the minds of the world's leading designers. Made with high-quality, rare fabrics and crafted with meticulous attention to detail by skilled artisans, haute couture stands as an emblem of elegance and sophistication (france.fr. 2021). In the exhibition in Dior both Haute-Couture and pret-a-porter garments were shown.
My personal favorite was the pret-a-porter collection by Chiuri (picture 1), because I personally do not really like the exaggerated shoulders and waist as in earlier Dior collections. Because I do not like this silhouette. Even though I understand that some decades ago, it was refreshing to see such a silhouette. Back then it was normal for women to cover up, and it was quite new to show off the body shape like this. Maybe if I were born in 1950, I would have loved it.
The 'New Look' is one of the most followed fashion silhouettes ever. By freeing women from the binding grip of corsets, but shaping his silhouette with impeccable tailoring and fabrics lined with either stiff percale or taffeta, Dior's "New Look" became the benchmark for feminine, wasp-waisted perfection. In the following years Dior surprises the world with new fashion lines, such as the Zigzag line (1948), the H line (1954) and the A line (1955) (Kunstmuseum Den Haag). Later on, the detailing became more and more imprortant. Embroidery with beads on very thin fabric is something that really struck my attention. It is sone with such care. How does the fabric not crease or how do the beads not fall down? It is so special.
Fashion and identity are for some people related for others totally not. A nice example is Cindy Sherman. Cindy Sherman (born 1954) views identity as a concept and explores ways in which women are portrayed in the mass media. Since the seventies she has been a model in her own work. Made up, dressed up and disguised, she always takes different forms. Inspired by the endless range of visual clichés in movies, fashion, art history, magazines, on television and the internet. She magnifies stereotypes to the absurd and grotesque to expose rusty ideas about gender, beauty and aging. Time and again, Sherman explores the dominant visual culture with a critical eye. Always in line with the zeitgeist, she continues to surprise the viewer with her characters and subjects. With humor and intelligence she holds up a mirror for us (FOMU Antwerpen 2024).
Fashion can be seen as a reflection of societal changes. Fashion has been a crucial trigger for a number of social revolutions and societal shifts. Many fashion houses and brands have used fashion, which is frequently described as a form of self-expression, to support and oppose various socio-political agendas. These movements have captured a person’s yearning for equality, their right to live with dignity, their desire for freedom, etc. Race, colorism, faith, religion, and other barriers have all been surpassed thanks to fashion. Our consumption habits have been impacted by fashion trends as well as numerous sociopolitical movements. Through movements like those for gay liberation and punk fashion, it has allowed people to express and communicate their values and show political solidarity. (Fashion and Law Journal).
Seeing the Dior exhibition in Den Haag made me think more about fashion as a representative of society. The silhouette of the dresses over time change with changes in the world. Also the garments were made with great precision, it was impressive to see.
Sources
Fashion and Law journal, The role of fashion in social change. https://fashionlawjournal.com/__trashed-20/
FOMU Antwerpen, Cindy Sherman, 2025. https://fomu.be/expos/cindy-sherman
France.fr., Everything you need to know about Haute Couture, 21-01-2021, https://www.france.fr/en/article/everything-you-need-to-know-about-haute-couture/
IIFD, What does ‘Ready-to-wear: Prêt-à-Porter’ means in Fashion Designing,https://iifd.in/ready-wear-pret-porter-means-fashion-designing/
Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Dior - a new look. https://www.kunstmuseum.nl/nl/tentoonstellingen/dior-new-look
