THE CRAFT OF DIOR COUTURE

UBS HOUSE OF CRAFT DIVES INTO THE MAISON’S ARCHIVES, SHOWCASING THE WORK OF SEVEN CREATIVE DIRECTORS ACROSS EIGHT DECADES

By Morgan Becker

There’s an image near the entry to UBS and Dior’s new exhibition—a model stands against a gray backdrop, in a pale pink structured dress, hundreds of flowers hand-appliquéd down the skirt and the bodice, a jean jacket halfway up her arms. It’s striking in itself, for the clothes and for the composition. As you get closer, you make out even more: two little cut-outs, superimposed in black and white. A miniature Christian Dior seems to stand on the top of the model’s head. The profile of his sister, Catherine, peeks out from her shoe.

“It’s a very unusual image, you know?” muses Brigitte Niedermair, the photographer behind the exhibition. “Christian Dior is more than only a name. It’s more than savoir faire in making. It’s something profound in the culture. He’s an icon. So highlighting him and his sister and the clothing… I think that’s a complete image.”

Brigitte, a titan in fashion photography, has spent more than a third of her 29-year career shooting for the Maison. She conceptualized UBS House of Craft x Dior to honor couture as tradition, bringing together the work of seven creative directors—Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and Dior himself (with a nod to Kim Jones)—across eight decades. UBS shares the Maison’s respect for heritage and vision. John McDonald, Group Chief Marketing Officer and Head Group Brand & Marketing Innovation, asserts that “craft is more than a concept” for UBS: “[The exhibition allows] us to honor what matters most to our clients: preserving what’s timeless while building for the future.”

Brigitte called upon another longtime collaborator, Carine Roitfeld—founder of CR Fashion Book, storied editor-and-chief of Vogue Paris, leading consultant, mentor, and philanthropist—to lend a hand in parsing Dior’s archive. This kind of curation is no easy feat. Marc Bohan had a tenure of 28 years; reducing that to a few silhouettes, notes Carine, took a great deal of care. “We worked closely with Perrine [Scherrer, Director of Dior Heritage], to carefully identify the looks that best encapsulated each designer’s vision,” she says, “while also reflecting the cultural and historical context of their time at the helm. There was so much to choose from, but the process was incredibly enriching, allowing me to explore and re-explore the legacy of each creative director through their most emblematic creations.”

Moving away from that first photograph, there’s plenty to take in: detail shots that testify to high craftsmanship; clothing racks stationed around an atelier; fourth-wall-breaking editorials that go beyond the model, exposing lighting set-ups, tripods, and creative team members. Also, a few easter eggs: “[It’s an] homage to Richard Avedon,” says Bridgette in reference to an elephant figurine, suspended over one of the photo’s sets like a boom mic. “[Dovima with Elephants, published in Harper’s Bazaar’s September 1955 issue] is a very important image for Dior and also for Richard. I wanted to [honor] this big historical moment. I hope I did a good job.”

Brigitte and Carine, of course, came into this project more than well-educated on Dior’s stature—as a global design authority, as the originator of the New Look, and as a house synonymous with fashion history. In working under such broad terms, though, they picked up some fresh insights.

Says Carine: “Brigitte always comes to a shoot with a clear vision, often supported by detailed sketches she prepares in advance […] Through her lens—and through the dialogue we’ve built together—I was able to perceive a remarkable sense of continuity in each designer’s vision. Certain silhouettes, created 20, 30, even 50 years ago, still feel incredibly modern. To me, that’s the true strength of a maison de couture: the ability to transcend time.”

Brigitte goes on: “We are very interested—both of us—in how the body language of fashion has changed. Or, let’s say, in the behavior between clothing and the body. Carine and I still have something to say to each other; it’s never boring, it’s never annoying, it’s always something new, what we’re trying to do.”

That bond translates to the work, on view June 6 through 8 in New York, at 28 Pine Street. Beyond the centerpiece exhibition, UBS and Dior will stage panels and workshops tackling sustainability, female leadership in luxury, collectibility, the future of fashion, and more. House of Craft is set to host events throughout the year, spotlighting not only design, but all kinds of industry that place high value on true technical mastery.

USB House of Craft x Dior is free and open to the public. Register for the talkshere.