The French fashion house said Wednesday that the “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” exhibition will run from April 19 to July 13 at Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a futuristic cultural hub designed by the late British architect Zaha Hadid.
The blockbuster show, which debuted at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2017 to celebrate the brand’s 70th anniversary, covered founder Christian Dior’s love of flowers and gardens, the work of the Parisian haute couture ateliers and Dior’s history of designing outfits for women for balls and special parties.
The Seoul exhibition, curated by Florence Müller, will also feature works by Korean artists such as Kim HyunJoo, Soo Sunny Park and Zadie Xa.
Additionally, as part of the annual Dior Lady Art project, a dedicated Lady Dior space will showcase bags custom-made by Korean art world figures, alongside works by 17 artists from the Lady Dior As Seen By brand, offering a wider artistic interpretation of the bestselling bag.
Designed by Shohei Shigematsu, partner at Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas’s OMA architecture studio, the exhibition includes rooms dedicated to the fragrances and gowns worn by the brand’s fragrance ambassadors, such as Rihanna for J’adore and Natalie Portman for Miss Dior.
To mark the occasion, Dior will renew its partnership with Ewha Womans University, a historic private women’s university in Seoul, where it presents its Pre-Fall 2022 womenswear collection designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Since 2022, Dior has sponsored the university’s educational programs and activities, including scholarship opportunities and mentoring within the Women@Dior program in partnership with UNESCO.
Delphine Arnault, Chairman and CEO of the Dior Group, said the extension of the alliance “represents a unique opportunity to perpetuate fundamental commitments to inclusion, autonomy, sisterhood and heritage; all missions that are more important than ever to enable younger generations of women to assert themselves through the expression of their individuality and perspectives and to participate in building an increasingly desirable future.”
Since its success in Paris, the Dior retrospective has been shown in London, New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Chengdu, China, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Doha, Qatar.
Dior has already held several exhibitions in South Korea and has further raised its profile through its collaboration with Blackpink member Jisoo, who was named Global Fashion and Beauty Ambassador in 2021.