‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ opens in Tokyo

The successful exhibition showcasing French fashion house Christian Dior has been reinvented for its opening in Tokyo, celebrating the “deep friendship” between Dior and Japan.

‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ runs until May 28, 2023, at the MOT, Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, reworked for Japanese fans by curator Florence Müller and featuring a new scenographic narrative created by architect Shohei Shigematsu from the OMA agency in New York.

This Dior retrospective, which has been a success at the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris, as well as at the V&A in London and in New York at the Brooklyn Museum, showcases more than 75 years of creative passion at the French fashion house while highlighting the “sincere, singular ties that unite Dior and Japan”.

Florence Müller, curator of the exhibition, said in a statement: “Christian Dior admired the Japanese for their capacity to “combine modernism and tradition”. A mutual and profound tale of admiration that went on to link Japan – the land of tradition and innovation – with the House, whose retro style revolutionized post-war fashion.

“With the first agreements signed in 1953 between Dior and Japanese textile companies of prestige, it was also the beginning of a fruitful cultural and artistic dialogue that lives on today with Maria Grazia Chiuri and this exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.”

Dior celebrates its ties with Japan in its new iteration of ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’

The exhibition explores the history and influence of the great couturier, the artistic directors who succeeded him, and Dior’s ties with Japan. This includes archival documents including letters, sketches and pieces from shows, most of which have never been shown to the public, highlighting Christian Dior’s bond with the country and his artistic influences, from the magic of balls to his fascination with the creativity of Japan.

The dialogue between the Japanese aesthetic and Dior drives this retrospective, and highlights include an enchanted garden featuring paperwork pieces by artist Ayumi Shibata, while the creations designed by the different artistic directors of Dior are showcased alongside photography by Yuriko Takagi, specially created for the exhibition.

Shohei Shigematsu, OMA partner added: “We’re honoured to design a new spatial narrative within the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, that draws from Dior’s storied relationship to Japan as well as the country’s current cultural contexts to showcase Dior’s creative continuity in a new light.

“Our collaboration with Dior across multiple cities and venues has been an exciting opportunity to continuously rethink and recontextualize the retrospective in response to its specific, local setting, much like Christian Dior’s own global expedition and influence.”