artLIVE – The prestigious exhibition Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams has officially launched in Seoul (South Korea). This event is not only a retrospective of Dior’s nearly 80-year history, but also a poetic dialogue between haute couture and contemporary Korean identity.
Dior comes to Seoul – a fashion journey that transcends time and space
After its success at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (France) and then in London (UK), Shanghai and Chengdu (China), New York (USA), Doha (Qatar), Tokyo (Japan) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), the exhibition Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams continues to stop at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul (South Korea) from April 19 to July 13, 2025.
The event marks the fourth collaboration between Dior and the architectural office OMA Shohei Shigematsu (New York, USA). Previous designs include Dior: From Paris to the World at the Denver Art Museum (2018), the Dallas Museum of Art (2019), and Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2022). This year’s exhibition in Seoul showcases nearly 80 years of Dior’s creative history and Korea’s cultural heritage.
In the 2,000-square-meter, column-free Art Hall 1 space with its 16-meter-high ceilings, the designers turned the challenge into an advantage: instead of dividing the space into galleries as is traditional, the exhibition flows seamlessly to present a unified story. “Each time (the show) has the same theme but with different ideas and costumes,” said Olivier Bialobos, executive vice president of global communications and image at Dior.
The past incarnated in visual art
The exhibition opens with “30 Avenue Montaigne,” a recreation of Dior’s first atelier in Paris through semi-transparent screens printed with historical photographs. OMA uses light and layering techniques to turn a familiar space into a blurry fashion film, interweaving reality and nostalgia for the past.
Inspired by the madang – the courtyards of traditional Korean hanok houses – “The Garden” features a 12-meter-long moon vase, symbolizing harmony and simplicity.
The highlight of the Christian Dior garden is expressed through the exquisite paper art of Korean artist Kim Hyun Joo. The artist used hanji, traditional mulberry paper from the land of kimchi. Kim and more than 20 assistants spent more than two months crafting tens of thousands of paper leaves, flowers, and branches, and two weeks later “growing” each paper flower individually without using glue.
In the space of “The Dior Ateliers”, the pure white toile dresses are lifted up in the air and reflected in all directions, evoking a feeling of endless magic. The visual effect evokes the aesthetic spirit that characterizes Seoul: quiet yet intense – where craftsmanship is elevated to the cosmic realm.
Dior through the lens of Korean culture
Not stopping there, each exhibition space recreates Dior’s heritage through the lens of Korean culture. For example, the “Dior Legacy” room attracts attention with its ribbon-like structure inspired by the art of jogakbo patchwork, recreating the journey of the fashion house’s creative directors; The “Lady Dior” room takes inspiration from the traditional red lacquer cabinet, transforming the modular blocks into sculptural display platforms for the iconic bag. Other highlights include the “30 Avenue Montaigne,” “The New Look,” “Miss Dior” and “Colorama” rooms.
Instead of following a chronological sequence, OMA constructs the entire exhibition space as a parade through the emotional layers of space. The rooms alternate between light and dark, curved and straight, intimate and open, reflecting Dior’s decades-long journey between two identities: classicism and innovation.
At the end of the journey, “The Dior Ball” transforms the Maison’s impressive staircase into a curving sculpture, where evening gowns dance in space. Not far away, “Stars in Dior” replaced traditional stage lighting with a network of shimmering metal wires, catching and scattering like a constellation – an architecture of sparkle and ephemera, celebrating the beauty of the galactic universe.
The J’Adore room is a true theatrical spectacle: a gilded hallway covered in mirrors, large video screens and glowing perfume bottles created by artist Jean-Michel Othoniel. Rather than ending on a quiet note, OMA chose to close the experience with a lavish extravaganza – a fitting end to a brand that dares to dream big and designs even bigger than its dreams.
Living Heritage
Each city hosting the exhibition has a unique selection of designs, drawn from Dior’s ever-growing archive of over 15,000 dresses and 15,000 accessories. Here, visitors will be able to admire about 250 dresses, from never-before-seen designs, sought after through auctions, to famous outfits that have appeared on the red carpet with Jisoo (Blackpink) or Natalie Portman.
Combining fashion, space and culture, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams is now open to the public at Art Hall 1, Dongdaemun Design Plaza, 281 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea from April 19 to July 13, 2025.
Reference:
hypebeast.com
wwd.com
designboom.com
