We saw a lovely exhibit today about the “New Look” in our current home of Granville. Why Granville? It may be the Monaco of the North and the residence of a key Grimaldi ancestor, but it was also the childhood home of Christian Dior.
The year is 1947, and the years of war and deprivation are fading away. While it may seem like a frivolous reflection of the times, something very important was happening at the atelier of an unknown couturier, Monsieur Dior.
When he revealed his spring line in February of 1947, the word was out that this show was the one to see. The fashion world came, saw, and declared that a revolution had occured. Suddenly, their padded shoulders and vaguely military cuts were over, dead, past. The “New Look” had made its debut and every other silhouette was old-fashioned, and just plain old.
As you can see, Dior did not grow up in poverty, though his family came on hard times in the 30’s. But this exhibit in this lovely setting on a perfect sunny day did take away some of the gloom of what we have been seeing lately – just as these designs lightened the spirits of the fashion world.
We also spent some more time exploring Granville, and admiring this lovely seaside resort, German bunkers notwithstanding. We had a good week here!
