I feel fabulous! fabulous! FABULOUS!!!

Well, you would to if you had just spent the day swanning around the Dior exhibit currently showing at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Not only was this talented Frenchman an esteemed designer, he was also a visionary that changed the face of women’s fashion worldwide.

At the age of 41, with his ‘New Look,’ he transformed the female silhouette into compromising rounded shoulders, exaggerated padded hips and full skirts made with an abundance of fabric.’ All with a refreshing uniqueness that can still be easily identifiable as a Dior style to this day.

Interestingly, Christian Dior didn’t have any ambition to design; it was pretty much a case of impoverishment or draw sketches for various fashion establishments. His talent quickly recognised, Dior was soon hired as a design assistant and at the end of World War Two was employed as a designer at the most prestigious couture house in Paris, Lucien Lelong.

It was not long before he garnered the attention of a textile magnate who invited him to take on his ‘flagging’ couture fashion house. Dior said no. (I know! Soo exciting! World at his feet and he turns it down flat!!! )

I wanted a house in which everything would be new, from the ambience and staff down to the furniture and even address. All around us life was beginning anew: it was time for a new trend in fashion.  Christian Dior 1957.

Instead, the magnate agreed to fund him and Dior was able to open his own house. Woo Hoo! Talk about a lucky duck!!!

During the designer’s ten year tenure, there was no other than Dior’s first hourglass silhouette collection that was to prove to be as inspirational.

Now that may be so, but I still found loads to linger over in the succeeding collections as well. In fact, for an exhibition (I was told) that would take me ‘a couple of hours,’ I was feeling rushed after four!

There is soo much to see … the stitching, the details, the handiwork, the creativeness, the out of this worldness … and with the exhibit covering the legacies of all the six infamous creative designers who have headed up the Dior House – Yves St Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri – I found there was just soo much to absorb, and then some!

It’s a completely indulgent show and I highly recommend a visit should you happen to be in Melbourne in the next few weeks.

Oh, and if you do go, my one tip is to be sure to buy your tickets beforehand so you can breeze on in like a VIP The queues are horrendous!

Till next time.

Tipsy Pipsy xo

PS. Couldn’t leave this little number out …

PPS. Oh, and the stockings! … too much fun …

PPPS. I know … this is absolutely it for the post scripts, I promise  … Anyhoo, check out my Instagram feed for more … @tipsy.pipsy