The object I chose was this Christian Dior dress from the 1957/58 autumn/winter collection. The dress consists of a tight bodice with princess seams down the front and back and held together at the waist by a large dome-shaped skirt. It is made out of a silky light blue satin with a puffy mesh underskirt to give the skirt volume. For detailing, there are large bows around the perimeter of the skirt. Looking at this garment, I would use it as a night dress, which was probably what it was used for. I would feel very glamorous in this dress because it looks like a one of a kind for the time it was made. Given the designer and Dior’s rise in fame at this time, I assume that the original person to own this dress was rather wealthy and most likely living in post-war Europe. I would envision it being worn in a gala or fancy dinner at a wealthy socialites’ home surrounded by other French elites.
The exhibit was pretty interesting to me as it did not follow the tradition themes but rather showcasing someone’s collection of garments. From all the past exhibits I have seen at the Met, this one was certainly smaller in scale. I believe that, just like paintings and sculptures, fashion belongs in a museum. For many years, we have used art as a way of dating history and knowing more about the past but the same could be said about fashion. Just like art, fashion is constantly evolving due to many factors in the environment of the society so it is important to showcase it as pieces of history. Fashion opens so many opportunities for research as each piece through time tells many stories.
