This past summer, I had the pleasure of visiting the La Galerie Dior in Paris, France, living my Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris fantasy. It was the day of The French Open, and my dad and I managed our escape from the hectic traffic, squeezing through to grab a spot in line just in time to enter the magnificent glass doors to La Galerie Dior. As I reflect upon this experience, I can’t help but compare both its structure and element of whimsical elegance to that of Alice in Wonderland.
As soon as I entered the lobby, I was swallowed by a rainbow tunnel of Dior garments and accessory miniatures. In the center of this tunnel is the spiral staircase, or what I call the rabbit hole, not only because it’s saturated with a million different things to see, but also because it’s only meant to be climbed down, and never up. To begin this journey, one must take the elevator to the third floor and work their way back to the first. This design choice enhanced the dream-like aura throughout the gallery. It felt as though I was falling into the experience rather than consciously maneuvering myself through it.
Upon arriving on the third floor, the viewers enter a circular hall with video displays, photos, memorabilia, and of course, gowns guiding them through the life of Christian Dior. This conventionally educational bit of the experience reminded me of the introduction to Disney’s production of Alice in Wonderland as Alice sits through her sister’s history lesson, utterly distracted. This is not to say that the history was boring, it was plenty engaging, but I was utterly distracted by the gowns. The gallery couldn’t have begun any other way, showing none other than the iconic “Bar Suit”.
After the biographical part was over, I descended to the second story which is filled with beautifully curated rooms filled with the most iconic Dior looks. I have to admit there were a couple of times when I pointed to a gown and said out loud “That’s the one from Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris!”, instead of attributing it to the runway or the red carpet. I think I may have offended some other Dior enthusiasts with that comment, but what can I say, it’s a great movie.
Each room in the exhibition was a new fever dream. There was one that felt like I was floating in the clouds, one that felt like I was lost in space, it was pretty much endless and I could go on for eternity, but the one that I resonated with the most was the first. This is what I call the dark and mysterious enchanted forest. The ambiance was hazy and dark but the dresses were illuminated in a heavenly manner. As a flower enthusiast, this was without a doubt, the most ethereal experience of my life. There was a quote from Christian Dior on the wall that read “I drew flowerlike women, shoulders rounded, busts in full bloom, waists thin as vines, and skirts as wide as corollas.” The room was filled with dresses adorned with flower motifs and looking at them felt as though their creator saw the woman and the flower as complementary beauties to each other that could almost become one and the same. My heart stopped when I saw the “Almee Dress” from the spring-summer 1955 collection. The dress is made from gilded thread, and silk organza, featuring Versaille gold stripes and small embroidered pink and red flowers. This dress is a paragon of proof that Christian Dior was a master of both the floral and the feminine.
Unfortunately, I did eventually have to leave the Wonderland of La Galerie Dior and disappointingly return to the real world. The gallery is beyond inspiring and if the opportunity is available, I highly urge every haute couture lover to go see it for themselves because as much as I try, words can never fully describe the fantasy world of La Galerie Dior.
Words by Mishi Ali.
Graphic by Josh Jamili.