Welcome to La Galerie Dior!
The application allows you to enrich your visit and discover exclusive content.
Welcome to La Galerie Dior!
The application allows you to enrich your visit and discover exclusive content.
07
The Dior Palette
Parisian Blue, Longchamp green
“Colour needs change. We wouldn’t appreciate blue skies if they were always blue, it is the clouds, the ever-changing scene, that makes the sky so beautiful.”
After the war, the visual culture of colour underwent significant changes. As Kodachrome and then Ektachrome films became more widespread, prized for their ability to capture vibrant colours, magazines gradually moved away from illustrations and toward colour photography, bringing with them a new approach to colour in fashion .
For his first collection, Christian Dior specified which “subtle shades” and “striking tones” were to dominate Spring-Summer 1947, such as “Parisian blue”, “royal khaki”, and “Longchamps green”. “I have no wish to deprive fashion (and the ladies) of the added allure and charm of colour, but I could perfectly well design a whole collection simply in black or white and express all my ideas to my complete satisfaction,” the designer mused in his memoir in 1956.
Decorated by Victor Grandpierre, the rather sober presentation salons at 30 Avenue Montaigne stood in contrast to this. White and pearl grey, very “Paris” in the neo-Louis XVI style that Christian Dior was particularly fond of, formed a neutral setting that helped the looks to shine.
Renée wearing the Bar suit, Haute Couture Spring-Summer 1947 Collection. Photography by Willy Maywald, 1955.
© Association Willy Maywald/ADAGP, Paris 2023Next Room
08
Dior's Gold
07
The Dior Palette
Parisian Blue, Longchamp green
“Colour needs change. We wouldn’t appreciate blue skies if they were always blue, it is the clouds, the ever-changing scene, that makes the sky so beautiful.”
After the war, the visual culture of colour underwent significant changes. As Kodachrome and then Ektachrome films became more widespread, prized for their ability to capture vibrant colours, magazines gradually moved away from illustrations and toward colour photography, bringing with them a new approach to colour in fashion .
For his first collection, Christian Dior specified which “subtle shades” and “striking tones” were to dominate Spring-Summer 1947, such as “Parisian blue”, “royal khaki”, and “Longchamps green”. “I have no wish to deprive fashion (and the ladies) of the added allure and charm of colour, but I could perfectly well design a whole collection simply in black or white and express all my ideas to my complete satisfaction,” the designer mused in his memoir in 1956.
Decorated by Victor Grandpierre, the rather sober presentation salons at 30 Avenue Montaigne stood in contrast to this. White and pearl grey, very “Paris” in the neo-Louis XVI style that Christian Dior was particularly fond of, formed a neutral setting that helped the looks to shine.
Renée wearing the Bar suit, Haute Couture Spring-Summer 1947 Collection. Photography by Willy Maywald, 1955.
© Association Willy Maywald/ADAGP, Paris 2023