Ensemble
During Raf Simons’ tenure (2012–2015) as creative director at Christian Dior, he injected a new sensibility into the respectable couture house, bridging the venerable couture heritage with his own modernist aesthetic. In a way, he continued Monsieur Dior’s love for architecture, art and the modernism of the 1950s into collections that matched Simons' own times. For Simons, couture, though exquisite in quality, had to be realistic enough for the client to consider buying it.
For the fall/winter 2013–14 haute couture show, Simons presented his contemporary take on the different crafts of the Parisian couture ateliers. He used the skillsets and specialized knowledge of the ‘petites mains’ of haute couture to present a silhouette which blended dyes, textiles and techniques from across the globe. This silhouette is an epitome of Parisian bourgeois chic (its three quarter sleeves, the belted waist and the skirt’s length attest to that) as well as a hi-tech vision of a ‘global village’. The visually arresting mix of op-art motifs is combined with pleating techniques, which gives the whole a tribal outlook.
For the fall/winter 2013–14 haute couture show, Simons presented his contemporary take on the different crafts of the Parisian couture ateliers. He used the skillsets and specialized knowledge of the ‘petites mains’ of haute couture to present a silhouette which blended dyes, textiles and techniques from across the globe. This silhouette is an epitome of Parisian bourgeois chic (its three quarter sleeves, the belted waist and the skirt’s length attest to that) as well as a hi-tech vision of a ‘global village’. The visually arresting mix of op-art motifs is combined with pleating techniques, which gives the whole a tribal outlook.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ensemble
- Couture Line: House of Dior (French, founded 1946)
- Designer: Raf Simons (Belgian, born 1968)
- Design House: House of Dior (French, founded 1946)
- Date: fall/winter 2013–14
- Culture: French
- Medium: synthetic, wool, silk
- Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of The Costume Institute Gifts, 2014
- Object Number: 2014.221a–d
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Multiple artists/makers
fall/winter 1961–62
House of Dior
Marc Bohan
1980s
House of Dior
Christian Dior
spring/summer 1955
House of Dior
Gianfranco Ferré
spring/summer 1993
House of Dior
Gianfranco Ferré
1990–97
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.