Miss Dior: 
The inspiration

An irresistible alchemy between art, couture and fragrance, the retrospective Miss Dior, Stories of a Miss was orchestrated – not unlike an intense elixir – in several chords retracing the complexity of that iconic fragrance, which has also lent its name to enchanting, equally emblematic dresses. It unfolded like a luminous Provençal landscape. In the heart notes, of course, lives a love as fervent as it is mutual between Monsieur Dior and the world of art. Many talents have applied their genius to interpreting this cult scent, first among them René Gruau, who signed brilliant campaigns with instantly recognizable brushstrokes for three decades. Lending itself to multiple metamorphoses, this eternal muse has been revisited again and again, notably by superbly inspired female artists. For more than 70 years, Miss Dior has been imbued with the Dior spirit of beauty, which visitors now could (re)discover and explore.

Like a marvellous Ariadne’s thread, the bottle’s ribbon extended from room to room, wending its way between symbolic looks, archival documents and contemporary works of art, such as a photograph by Brigitte Niedermair and sculptures by the Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis. The embodiment of Dior excellence, this couture trimming led visitors through a dreamlike décor in delicate shades of pink, “the softest of colours”² as the founding couturier called it. Evoking reminiscences both tender and powerful, a selection of Miss Dior silhouettes was displayed, from a model made by Christian Dior for his Trompe-l’œil line in 1949 to six dazzling gowns that have been worn by Natalie Portman.

Dior and Japan: An Irresistible Attraction

Sharing a taste for the avant-garde as well as tradition, the House has always woven sincere ties with Japan. From childhood, Christian Dior regarded the country with fascination: he constantly expressed his admiration through his designs, and he soon developed a unique bond with the Land of the Rising Sun. Season after season, he summoned its influences in silhouettes with names like Jardin Japonais, Utamaro, Tokyo and Rashomon.

That enthusiasm lived on thanks to his various successors, from Marc Bohan to Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones. This abiding attraction also has been expressed through unprecedented events such as The World of John Galliano & Tadao Ando – the very first Dior exhibition unveiled in the country, at the Kobe Fashion Museum, in 1999 – or the retrospective Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, which took place from December 2022 to May 2023, at MOT, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. An eternal dream of escape.