ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Christian Dior Retrospective at Brooklyn Museum

exhibition · 2026-04-27

From September 10, 2021, to February 20, 2022, the Brooklyn Museum in New York will present 'Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams.' This exhibition showcases the maison's 70-year history through more than 200 haute couture pieces, along with photographs, videos, and sketches. Curated by Florence Müller, a Dior expert and Curator of Textile Art and Fashion at the Denver Art Museum, in partnership with Matthew Yokobosky, Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture at the Brooklyn Museum, it features renowned American photographers like Richard Avedon, including his famous shot of model Dovima in a Dior gown with elephants. The retrospective builds upon earlier Dior exhibitions in Paris (2017), London (2019), and Shanghai (2020), highlighting the evolution of the brand under various artistic directors.

Key facts

  • Exhibition runs from September 10, 2021 to February 20, 2022 at Brooklyn Museum
  • Over 200 haute couture garments on display
  • Curated by Florence Müller and Matthew Yokobosky
  • Includes photographs by Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Annie Leibovitz, and others
  • Avedon's image of Dovima with elephants is featured
  • Previous iterations held in Paris (2017), London (2019), and Shanghai (2020)
  • Covers artistic directors from Yves Saint Laurent to Maria Grazia Chiuri
  • Highlights Dior's 1947 'New Look' and 1948 New York boutique opening

Entities

Artists

  • Christian Dior
  • Florence Müller
  • Matthew Yokobosky
  • Yves Saint Laurent
  • Marc Bohan
  • Gianfranco Ferré
  • John Galliano
  • Raf Simons
  • Maria Grazia Chiuri
  • Richard Avedon
  • Dovima
  • Lillian Bassman
  • Cass Bird
  • Henry Clarke
  • Louise Dahl-Wolfe
  • William Helburn
  • Horst P. Horst
  • William Klein
  • David LaChapelle
  • Annie Leibovitz
  • Frances McLaughlin-Gill
  • Gordon Parks
  • Irving Penn
  • Karen Radkai
  • Herb Ritts

Institutions

  • Brooklyn Museum
  • Denver Art Museum
  • Fondazione Avenir
  • Musée des Arts Décoratifs
  • Victoria and Albert Museum
  • Long Museum West Bund
  • Christian Dior
  • Vogue

Locations

  • New York
  • United States
  • Paris
  • France
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Shanghai
  • China
  • Granville
  • Montecatini Terme
  • Italy

Sources