Christian Dior was fascinated by film and became a costume designer even before his couture house was created in 1946. The greatest movie stars of his time such as Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman and Elizabeth Taylor dressed some of his amazing couture creations.
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| Marlene Dietrich in Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright © Rue des Archives/BCA |
"No Dior, no Dietrich!" Marlene Dietrich
In Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright, Marlene Dietrich contract requires a Dior wardrobe. Much has been said about the relationship between designers and actresses not only for their appearances on screen but also at the celebrated movie ceremonies held around the world.
But Stars in Dior, published this month in the UK by Rizzoli, provides a valuable insight into the evolution of this relationship with the House of Dior in particular, featuring over 90 films with location shots, photographs, portraits and film stills.
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| French poster for the film Stage Fright (1950) ©TCD |
Today's great names of the silver screen such as Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron, Penélope cruz and Kirsten Dunst carry on the bond with Christian Dior, wearing the couture house's beautiful creations to promote their films.
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Natalie Portman in Christian Dior Haute Couture
by John Galliano, Autumn–Winter 2009 © Alexi Lubomirski
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Some of these stars even become the face of the brand. Charlize Theron is simply mesmerizing in the J'adore advertising, in which cinema magic brings back to life Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe, all of whom had their own links with the House of Dior.
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| Charlize Theron in the Gallerie des Glaces at the Château de Versailles, 2012 © Patrick Demarchelier |
Fashion is all about fantasy so it is not surprising that the film industry merges with it, empowering the stars who are nurtured by the Dior image and vice versa. This mutual enriching bond is a pleasure to watch, producing iconic images which are rooted in our memory and contribute to our collective beauty aesthetics.
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| Charlize Theron in Christian Dior ready-to-wear by John Galliano, Autumn-Winter 2008 © Alexi Lubomirski |
Stars in Dior
(Rizzoli, £40)
Other related blog posts:
Tom Ford at Vogue Festival
V&A Unveils Hollywood Glamour
The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor