Cairo pays tribute to 60 years of the House of Christian Dior
The House of Christian Dior, under the tutelage of John Galliano, has been celebrating 60 years of feminine glamour and elegance. The anniversary of the fashion house’s creation will be marked in Cairo with a spectacular gala fashion show at the Ramses Hilton tonight.
The local ballroom will be transformed into a replica of the Paris show earlier this year. Fifteen models, plus their hair stylists and make up artists, will be flown in from Paris for the event. Over 100 pieces will be paraded down the runway.
Since 1947, and the launch of Christian Dior’s first Haute Couture collection, “New Look, the fashion house has continued to epitomize femininity and romance as well as new modernity.
“It’s important to show this collection here in Egypt, Brigitte Lefebvre, the representative for Christian Dior in the Middle East, told The Daily Star Egypt. “[Egyptian] women are very aware of fashion and are well-traveled, but they may have a more classic approach. This, she points to a catalogue of Dior’s latest collection, “is modern classic.
An exclusive luxury label, Dior’s ready-to-wear pieces can be found in Beyman’s at the Four Season Nile Plaza, and Euphoria’s fashion boutique in Mohandiseen has a corner dedicated to the design house. Though Egyptian women won’t be flocking to stock up on Dior’s latest collection, the more discerning fashionista might invest in a modern classic to add to her personal wardrobe.
There are Dior boutiques throughout the Middle East, and more in the works. Lefebvre couldn’t say if there were plans to open a boutique in Cairo. The major hindrance is the import restrictions on garments, but they are slowly being lifted. “It’s a question of timing. But I’m sure it will happen, Dior’s regional rep stated.
Today Dior’s a household name, but when it first launched in 1947, the fashion house was considered to be quite groundbreaking. “When Mr Dior launched the very first collection worldwide it was considered quite a revolution, Lefebvre explained.
Following the deprivation of Word War II, and the scarcity of almost everything – we’ve all heard of how women used to draw lines down the back of their legs, a trompe l’oeil, to trick people into thinking they were actually wearing stockings.
When Dior’s designs came onto the scene, “It was a breath of fresh air, Lefebvre remarked. The designer marked a real return to the French luxury after the monotonous war occupation. “Why shall we deprive fashion and women of the prestige and charms of the color? Dior remarked at the time.
Dior’s signature tailoring and use of luxurious fabrics – and lots of it – gave definition to his “New Look that has been carried through to today.
The woman’s “Bar suit, for example, became a symbol of the “New Look. Lefebvre modeled her casual jeans jacket, a piece from Dior’s ready-to-wear collection, to demonstrate the classical features that are being revived in more current lines – without being “retro, she hastily pointed out. The rounded shoulders and slightly cinches, and the subtly padded hips emphasized the feminine hourglass figure.
Lefebvre’s impromptu modeling embodied the essence of Dior – past and present: “Even wearing something casual I feel special because of the tailoring.
“You put this on and you just really know you re a woman, actress Charlize Theron says of his clothes, just in case you forgot, you know?
Alongside the 60th anniversary, the fashion house’s Artistic Director John Galliano is celebrating 10 years with Dior. The 2007-8 ready-to-wear collection gives him the opportunity to introduce his rendition of the “New Look.
Galliano travels for inspiration, Lefebvre explains. This collection, he strikingly re-interprets the Dior signature suit with the influence of Japanese origami. Between the elegance of attitude and the sensual emphasis of the body, this collection proposes an array of dresses, suits, coats, jackets for day and evening wear.
As a tribute to Christian Dior’s use of traditional masculine materials in women’s clothing, the 2007-8 collection incorporates materials such as herringbone, houndstooth, tweed, and cashmere. This collection marks the return of furs – as pieces and accents – such as fox, chinchilla, mik, astrakhan, as well as the use of exotic leathers of crocodile, python, and ostrich. The large bows and knots, the oversized pockets, are also reminiscent of Dior’s creator.
For evening, striking dresses of varying length, in satin, silk, chiffon, taffetas, and tule are richly adorned by stones or furs. Glamour is exemplified in the Dior signature bias cut, drape, and pleats, big bows and origami detailing.
The colors of the collection refer to the Dior symbols of grey, black and white, with a hint of bright colors: orange, pink, green, blue, mauve, and fuchsia.
Model’s at tonight’s fashion show will feature dramatic headgear, bold jewelry, platform shoes, bags with plisse, and the coveted limited edition bag of the anniversary collection: The Samurai.
The 2007, new “New Look celebrates the glamour, sophistication and beauty of Dior with a modern twist. More importantly it embodies the three core elements of the House of Dior, according to Lefebvre: History, culture and expertise, “and all of this with passion, she adds.
