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Christian Dior

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams

February 28, 2019 by Natasha Searls-Punter

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryIf your instagram feed is anything like ours then you will not have failed to notice the hugh amount of attention that the Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition is getting at the V & A Museum at the moment. Following its opening on the 2nd February, the exhibition which is held in the museum’s new Sainsbury wing, it has received an unprescedented amount of visitors.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryThe exhibition is currently sold out, with tickets being drip released around the 15th of each month and a few kept back each day on a first come first served basis. Members of the V&A however can still visit at their leisure and Hawthorne and Heaney were lucky enough to visit the exhibition on members night in order to bring you our insight.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryThe London exhibition has a much greater focus on the individual designers of the House of Dior so if you had already seen it at Musee Des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, then this version brings a different angle. Split into a series of sections, this part of the exhibition really gives you a sense of what each creative director has brought to the house. Furthermore it also highlights some of the key aspects of Dior as a fashion house, which holds all the designs together over the years. Identifying these values allows them to keep delivering pieces which are recognisably ‘Dior’.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryEach rooms has its own sense of the wow factor with the paper cut flowers room, displaying some of the more romantic pieces amongst the flowers which were dripping from the ceiling. The center piece of which is this gown embellished with hundreds of tiny cut feathers.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryWe can not cover this exhibition without mentioning the toile room. Probably the simplist room with its ehite cubes, it really brings home the process of producing couture garments and the work that goes into them. It is lovely to look around and recognise some of the dresses you have already seen the final versions of, in their developmental form. As well as taking the time to watch the series of videos they have on display amongst the toiles which show the making process of other Dior producs such as shoes and jewellery from their specialist makers.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroiderySome of the toiles have notes and annotations left on them which highlight the complexity of the pattern cutting when all the other details are stripped away in white.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryFrom an embroiderers perpective, there is plenty to see and appreciate in this exhibition. The variety of styles and techniques is huge so whilst all the pieces may not necessarily be your taste, you can not help but be humbled by the skill.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryGoldwork, raffia, feathers and beads all feature in this Galliano piece created for Dior by Lesage.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryAn interesting use of mesh appliques create the beatle wing/ petal effect amongst the sequins on this gown from the 1950’s.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryWhere else would you get the chance to get this up close and personal with dresses like this one, worn by Charlize Theron in the ‘J’adore’ adverts?

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryIt is here that you can see that the sequins are tamboured onto the tuelle by hand with their joining stitches adding to the texture of the piece.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroiderySome of the more contemporary pieces provide a different perspective on ‘les petite mains’ (the little hands; referring to the skilled makers that create the designers vision) that we get to see a modern application of traditonal skills such as the use of beads and velvet in this a line evening gown.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand EmbroideryOf course, there are also the iconic, historical pieces that you have probably glimpst before, like this gown worn by Princess Margaret for her 21st Birthday photoshoot.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits Dior: Designer of Dreams London Hand Embroidery

If you find the opportunity, then this exhibition is a absolute must see for fashion, design and embroidery fans everywhere. Follow the link for all the booking details.

All photos courtesy of Natasha Searls-Punter

Dior: Designer of Dreams

The Victoria and Albert Museum, London

On now until 14th July 2019 (extended to the 1st Sept 2019)

 

 

Filed Under: Embroidery, Fashion, London Tagged With: bespoke, bespoke embroidery, Christian Dior, couture, designer of dreams, dior, embellishment, embroidery, Embroidery London, exhibition, hand embroidery, Hawthorne & Heaney, London, stitching, v and a museum, victoria and albert museum

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Exhibition at the Barbican

November 16, 2016 by Hasina Akther

The word vulgar is used to describe common people, lack of sophistication or good taste and reflects someone making explicit or offensive reference to sex or the body.

The “The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined” exhibition curated by Judith Clark and Adam Phillips displays famous looks from the fashion world dating back from the renaissance to current day fashion. The exhibition definitely gets you questioning about why is vulgar such a sensitive area in fashion and what makes something vulgar?

By looking at the definition of vulgar as being common, it also explores the ideas of fashion being common, has it ever been unique? By trying to be different, your fashion exaggerating then turning into a vulgar taste.

The exhibition includes works from designers such as, John Galliano, Pam Hogg,Vivienne Westwood and Yves Saint Laurent. Some of the looks there, I can understand as being vulgar, over the top, makes you wonder why is that necessary and in a way almost a bit disturbing. What I found difficult about the collection, is what do you actually classify as vulgar?

Surely it’s all down to personal opinion rather, as some things I did find vulgar but other pieces there I found beautiful.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Exhibition at the Barbican London Hand Embroidery

These hair shoes by Alessandro Michele for Gucci were featured in the exhibition. For me, these shoes say vulgar. They are very eccentric, easy to show off with and over all a strange idea to get over.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Exhibition at the Barbican London Hand Embroidery

Hussein Chalayan’s Autumn/Winter 2014 collection, his dresses covered in acrylic nails. The idea of vulgar coming from the concept rather than the look of it.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Exhibition at the Barbican London Hand Embroidery

Pam Hogg SS14, her designs are very unique and different, but most of the time they are revealing and insensitive. Getting a strong reaction from society which I feel the idea of vulgar is all about.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Exhibition at the Barbican London Hand Embroidery

Walter van Beirendonck 2010-11 “Take a Ride” collection.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Exhibition at the Barbican London Hand Embroidery

Whilst with this Christian Dior SS 2003, I think it is very exaggerated but still has elegance and beauty to it, so does that make it vulgar?

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Exhibition at the Barbican London Hand Embroidery

Looks from the Viktor&Rolf collection, Van Gogh Girls, were also featured. But is the actual fashion vulgar? Or is it the whole design of the big straw hat and flowers growing off the dress. This to me creates more of an exciting, artistic presentation of the clothes, presented almost like paintings, what they were inspired by.

Whilst in the exhibition there were also pieces, which I found beautiful, elegant and sophisticated. Lace collars, stomachers and looks by Givenchy, Raf Simons, Chloe and Madame Grès, were some of the looks that I didn’t understand why they were there.

Hawthorne & Heaney Visits The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Exhibition at the Barbican London Hand EmbroideryHawthorne & Heaney Visits The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined Exhibition at the Barbican London Hand Embroidery

The collection is full of interesting pieces of fashion and historic embroidered pieces such as stomachers, dresses and accessories. It’s a really interesting and exciting collection to see with lots of information and film about vulgarity in fashion and the different movements throughout history that affected it.

Images taken from:

http://fashiontribes.typepad.com/fashion/2015/04/bride-of-bigfoot-hairy-slipper-shoe-footwear-things-stomp-into-fall-2015.html

http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/gallery/22125/2/the-vulgar-fashion-redefined

http://the-moustached-king.tumblr.com/page/4

http://showstudio.com/collection/hussein_chalayan_paris_womenswear_a_w_2014/anders_christian_madsen_reports_on_the_chalayan_show

http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/barbican-vulgarity-the-spice-of-fashion-life

http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/barbican-vulgarity-the-spice-of-fashion-life

http://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/barbican-vulgarity-the-spice-of-fashion-life

 

Filed Under: Art, Embroidery, Fashion, London Tagged With: Adam Phillips, Alessandro Michele, Barbican, beauty, Christian Dior, eccentric, elegance, exhibition, Fashion Embroidery, Gucci, Hawthorne & Heaney, Hussein Chalayan, John Galliano, Judith Clarke, lace, Pam Hogg, The Vulgar, vivienne westwood, Yves Saint Laurent

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