The holidays are fast approaching with perhaps some timid parties, there was no time to waste in getting this to you. While it seems unbelievable to find ourselves still wading through a pandemic via the Greek alphabet, it’s why I’ve decided my mantra for this season is “simplicity.” I traveled around the wilds of Texas visiting family for Thanksgiving, but I’ll be sticking to the Northeast for Christmas and the New Year because it just feels easy and because New York City is absolutely gorgeous this time of year, offering plenty to do now that things are open again.
Simplicity, though, isn’t exclusive to being deliberately elegant – as I was reminded when I visited the “Dior: Designer of Dreams” exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum last week. Christian Dior opened his eponymous brand in 1946 when he was 41 (note: it’s never too late to start something… even a fashion powerhouse!) with a post-war goal of allowing women to rediscover joy, elegance, and beauty after years of wartime rations. In the US and abroad, a scarcity of fabric led to regulations which restricted the length and fullness of skirts and dresses. Colors were limited, buttons were counted, zipper lengths were shortened, and even cuffs were banned (supply chain, anyone?). Once the war was over, short frocks reminded Dior of war and occupation and he wanted to bring in a season of celebration – fireworks not bombs, and dressing up instead of making do.
Seeing Dior’s work cumulatively and chronologically presented impressed how few of his pieces were truly simple. A “simple” all black ensemble would require 30 yards of fabric. He was even protested in 1947 by a Chicago group called “The Little Below the Knee Club” who thought that his extravagant use of fabric, which lowered the hemline about 10 inches from regulated styles, was akin to moving them back to Victorian times and were angry that their wardrobes could become passé overnight. Gotta love that Midwest practicality. 😉 But Dior was unmoved, he never meant his designs to be for everyday dress, as his focus was on special occasion dressing. He also anticipated that people would understand his designs in time, and 76 years of Dior fashion has proven he was correct.
Dior only served as Creative Director for 10 years before dying of a heart attack. His sudden passing left the company in chaos, but with the remarkable trove of work to reference the brand has been carried forward through the imagination of nine other creative directors.
Dior said, “Don’t buy much but make sure that what you buy is good” and “happiness is the secret to all beauty; there is no beauty that is attractive without happiness.”
With this, I wish you a happy, simple, and beautiful holiday season!
