Christian Dior’s ‘Designer of Dreams’ exhibition takes viewers on nostalgic journey back in time
Former models say ‘Mr Dior was like family’ and reflect on the unusual touches that made his couture more interesting
When Odile Kern stepped into a Parisian lift some time in 1953, she found herself standing next to luxury couturier Christian Dior — and in an instant her life changed.
Now 88, Kern was already on the fashion designer’s payroll in the building on Avenue Montaigne. Dior asked her who she was.
“I said ‘Monsieur, my name is Odile and I work for you … in the boutique’. And he told me ‘No, now you work for me [as a model’].”
Founded in 1946 and at the core of a post-war revolution in womenswear, the brand remains among the most prestigious in the world.
The designer’s first collection in 1947 featured the Bar suit — a hip-length jacket cinched in at the waist, and worn with a long skirt — that was dubbed the “New Look”.
Speaking at a new London exhibition dedicated to the House of Dior, Kern recalled how private clients visited the Paris atelier to view and order bespoke creations.
“We worked for the House of Dior, no one else; we worked two hours a day to present the collection every day,” Kern said.
