If I could offer one piece of advice before taking a trip to London’s first major exhibition of René Gruau illustrations, it’s to practice rolling your Rs. I, alas, didn’t manage to perfect the aura of Parisian chic that seems so fitting to Somerset House’s latest display, but I hope I managed to absorb some of Gruau’s effortless sophistication simply by witnessing it. Even fashion novices will recognise many of these iconic drawings and can leave better informed, which is both a gratifying experience and a testament to Gruau’s pervasive influence in the House of Dior.
It was Gruau that Dior entrusted with communicating his vision and who continues to inspire John Galliano’s creations. One of his dresses pays tribute to the illustrator alongside the Dior New Look creations on display. Galliano states ‘to be inspired by Dior is to be inspired by René Gruau’. Indeed, echoes of Gruau’s ‘Flower Woman’ can be found in the delicate florals and enveloping chiffons of the Dior Spring/Summer 2011 collection. The master lives on.
What I enjoyed most about this exhibition was the Eau Sauvage section. This is a rare glimpse at men’s fashion in a major fashion exhibition. Gruau’s taste for controversy and humour are a welcome surprise – it is rare that a fashion exhibition permits a snigger, even rarer that it solicits one.
The curator from Somerset House, who worked jointly with a curator from the Dior Parfum Archives, has cleverly picked out five contemporary UK-based illustrators whose work demonstrates the continuing legacy of Gruau. Fittingly, limited edition prints are on sale so you can take some of the exhibition away with you for your wall at home. I was faintly disappointed that they had not been quite as ingenious with the Gruau designed Dior Christmas cards from the display – I was hoping to have the most stylish seasonal tidings in town this year.
If you have an insatiable love of fashion illustration, get yourself to one of the Somerset House Late Studios, a series of late night workshops where you can indulge in a cocktail or two and create something fabulous to take home with you. Inspired by the Dior Illustrated Exhibition the next three Late Studios offer you the chance to whip up a breathtaking headpiece, fashion your own chic paper doll or turn designer muse as you take part in a life size fashion illustration class.
Dior Illustrated: René Gruau and the Line of Beauty is open daily at Somerset House, between 10am – 6pm, until 9th January 2011.
