Dressed to Impress

The new Dior exhibit at SCAD FASH; plus, pathways to Prince, book pile chic, and some other things I'm enjoying.

Dear readers,

Here's to another week, and (I hope) a richly deserved tax refund for all.

If you're in the Atlanta area and looking for ways to treat yourself right now, I highly recommend a visit to SCAD FASH to see the brand new Dior: Crafting Fashion exhibit, which opened this week. Oh, what a treat! The show includes more than 100 pieces from the Dior archives, and an exploration of how each of its eight creative directors have made their respective marks on the line, while honoring its heritage.

"Deep in every heart slumbers a dream, and the couturier knows it: every woman is a princess," Christian Dior once said. Faithful readers of this newsletter may recall that last year I wrote about watching a sweet little film called Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, about an English cleaning lady who saves her meager earnings so she can head to the City of Light and buy a Dior gown. After all, is there anything more ladylike and elegant and beautiful? And what better way to grab a bit of joy after all the horror and loss of World War II?

"Women, with their sure instincts, realized that my intention was to make them not just more beautiful, but also happier," Dior said.

In 1947, Dior debuted the Bar Suit, which ushered in what fashion editor Carmel Snow called "The New Look." No more wartime austerity. Fabric is fabulous!

Dior had originally wanted to be an architect, and his fashion became known for its structure: broad shoulders, tiny waists, and voluminous, a-line skirts. Those elements – and the flower motifs he adored – have remained in Dior collections since his death in 1957.

Because this exhibit is the first major one at a design school, I'm told that the House of Dior was emphatic about including the cotton muslin mockups – or toiles – that are created before a finished garment is made. Those prototypes are refined again and again until the creative director signs off on them, and they often require thousands of hours of work before they get to that point. Then, the toile becomes the pattern, and its used to test fabrics or embroidery patterns that may be used in the final piece.

A fashion design student working at SCAD FASH on Thursday was really excited that those toiles were part of the exhibit, because apparently you never see those (and besides, they can be frustrating). The toiles may not look like much at first glance, but you see what it took to get from a nondescript piece of white fabric to, well, this:

Anyway, it was a great, inspiring and BEAUTIFUL exhibit and I highly recommend it. This weekend, SCAD FASH will be having two Dior petites mains – "little hands," or master artisans – on site to show just how painstaking their work is. I've seen some of these seamstresses hard at work at Galerie Dior in Paris and it is truly awe-inspiring to see what they can do.

To conclude, I have a question for you: To what extent do you think about the work that goes into a finished product? Are you the sort that finds yourself marveling at the teensy stitches on a fine leather good, or the colorful woodblock patterns on a pillow cover, or the meticulous stitches in a piece of knitting? Do you look at a nonfiction book's endnotes and think "wow" when you see where a writer got their information? (Just me?) Or are you more inclined to think "I bought it. It's mine. I'm not going to dwell on this too much, because what a rabbit hole, and I'm not THAT big of a dork."?

No wrong answers here and no judgment whatsoever about any of those answers. Just wondering.

I hope you all have a wonderful, restful weekend ahead. Until next time!

Paige

Writing prompt: Think of something you can do from start to finish. Write about that process, step by step, and in as much detail as possible.

Too often we get distracted by what is outside our control. You can’t do anything about yesterday. The door to the past has been shut and the key thrown away. You can do nothing about tomorrow. It is yet to come. However, tomorrow is in large part determined by what you do today. So make today a masterpiece. You have control over that.This rule is even more important in life than basketball. You have to apply yourself each day to become a little better. By applying yourself to the task of becoming a little better each and every day over a period of time, you will become a lot better. Only then will you will be able to approach being the best you can be. It begins by trying to make each day count and knowing you can never make up for a lost day.

John Wooden

Endnotes

On the Prince Trail

Prince died a decade ago (can you believe it?), and it's safe to say that things haven't been quite right since. After visiting an art school in Minneapolis with my youngster a couple of years ago, I carved out time to see First Avenue, the nightclub where Prince performed; and Paisley Park, where he lived and recorded. If you have ever been dorky for Prince, or in need of some creative inspiration, I highly recommend doing both on any Minneapolis trip you may take. But if you want to take an even deeper dive into his life and work, here's a gift link to a New York Times article with more recommendations for things to do. Minneapolis is a really cool city with lots of really nice people, so if you get a chance to go there, don't hesitate!

The TBR Pile Aesthetic

I know I'm not alone when I say there's no such thing as too many books. They're good for your mind. They're good for your spirit. And, according to House & Garden UK, piles of them around your house speak to "an attitude of optimism – arguably, a stylish stance in our turbulent times." So, you are not hoarding. You are decorating. Okay? You are staying ready to be ready to read at all times. And if anyone gives you any trouble about it, send them my way.

Things I'm Enjoying

Paris-based journalist Lindsay Tramuta's excellent Bitter Southerner piece about Americans who are leaving or planning to leave the country because of current events. The M. Gessen podcast The Idiot, which is about M's shady cousin, who stupidly enlisted an undercover FBI agent to kill his ex-wife. Duran Duran and Nile Rodgers have a new song – "Free to Love" – coming out next week.

If you get a minute...

...please consider donating to your local food bank. Right now many of them are stretched thin, and in some cases they have had to cut down on the frequency and amount of food they give out. So if you can help in any way, please do. Thank you!