Anyone who loves the golden age of fashion photography surely pines for the era when big glossy magazines were chock full of beautiful photo spreads.
While print publications still exist, with focuses drawn to digital media, this often means consuming fashion editorials via a small phone screen.
Thus, the impact of these powerful images is lost. Similarly, a front-row seat platform is also the best perspective to grasp the full scope and intricacy of luxury and highly skilled craft.
A new UBS House of Craft x Dior exhibit—a luxury artisanal-focused consumer-facing events and experiences initiative by the banking entity to promote and share excellence among various disciplines—explores six major creative directors’ work from French maison and haute couture houses.
Leading the creative vision of the traveling exhibition—debuting in New York and offering both public and private programming—is legendary fashion editor Carine Roitfeld and acclaimed fashion photographer Brigitte Niedermair, who collaborated on a special photo gallery to highlight each designer’s work. FashionNetwork.com caught up with UBS’s chief marketing officer and head group branding and marketing innovation, John McDonald and Roitfeld, on how the special multi-faceted event came together.
According to UBS, craft is a language that resonates with everything from fashion to finance.
“It’s the lens through which we articulate our values: care, expertise, and enduring excellence throughout generations,” said McDonald.
“When we chose to spotlight fashion in this edition of UBS House of Craft, couture immediately stood out as the ultimate expression of craftsmanship within the industry. We sought a partner who exemplifies enduring excellence in craft—one that has sustained its vision. Dior, which has defined and redefined couture for over 80 years, was a natural choice. Dior connected instantly with both the creative concept and the broader UBS House of Craft mission—to celebrate the people, processes, and enduring values behind exceptional craftsmanship.”
The Dior-centric event follows the debut of UBS House of Craft, which partnered with Hodinkee, which recruited experts from Jaeger-LeCoultre and A. Lange & Söhne to celebrate watchmaking and took place in Los Angeles and San Francisco last fall.
Couture seemed like a natural progression, given its predisposition for the ultimate expression of craftsmanship within the industry.
“Dior connected instantly with both the creative concept and the broader UBS House of Craft mission—to celebrate the people, processes, and enduring values behind exceptional craftsmanship,” McDonald added.
“UBS brings the art of craft to the heart of their clients, and we bring the heart of fashion. It’s about understanding who haute couture is for—and it resonates with their clientele. I think it’s a fresh and meaningful way to showcase what’s possible, what’s available to their clients, and to offer deeper insight into the artistry behind fashion, couture, and craftsmanship,” Roitfeld noted.
She added that, to her knowledge, the exhibition was the first time in Dior’s history that such a comprehensive retrospective had been entrusted to creatives versus curators.
Roitfeld and Niedermair have deep ties to the French brand via their work as editor/stylist and photographer, respectively.
The iconic editor viewed Dior as the obvious choice.
“Dior was the choice because of what it represents in terms of French couture. No other Maison embodies craftsmanship quite like Dior,” Roitfeld said, adding that Niedermair was the right fit, too, given her work with Dior and creativity but also possessing a “deep appreciation for craftsmanship.”
The exhibit, which takes place in the multi-purpose Halo venue, which features a circular space curing around an exterior fountain, took guests through each designer’s work for Dior comprised of archival elements such as BTS and runway videos, mood boards, campaigns, actual garments displayed on mannequins and dramatic fashion photography styled by Roitfeld and shot by Niedermair which was displayed large format on screens roughly 2 X 3 feet.
The models were dressed in actual pieces sourced from the company’s archive.
“Selecting the pieces for this show was no easy task. We collaborated closely with Perrine, who oversees the Dior archives, to curate the looks and themes that truly captured each creative director’s vision and place these choices within the broader cultural and historical moments of their tenure,” the French stylist said of the rewarding, yet painstaking exercise.
“There was an abundance of material to choose from, which offered a deep dive into each designer’s legacy and allowed me to rediscover their most iconic creations from new perspectives.”
While Roitfeld couldn’t choose one favorite creative director among Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri, two struck a chord with Roitfeld. There was also a special tribute to former Dior Homme designer Kim Jones.
“I rediscovered so much—especially the work of Marc Bohan, who, to my surprise, led Dior for 28 years. I was impressed by the longevity of his tenure, yet he remains one of the lesser-known figures in the House’s history. His dresses inspired by Jackson Pollock stood out. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for John Galliano’s work at Dior. In my eyes, he was one of the most imaginative and artistically free voices fashion has ever known,” Roitfeld continued.
The founder of CR Fashionbook and former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris has worked with the House on campaigns and has a strong connection through Olivier Bialobos, Dior’s chief communications officer.
The event includes multiple panel discussions with Roitfeld, Niedermair, and Dior executives and a chance to see artisans at work in the exhibition space at 28 Pine Street, open to UBS clients. The exhibit itself opens to the public June 6 through 8.
Roitfeld noted that “all the pieces will be auctioned for charity, supporting children and young adults aspiring to build a career in fashion.”
According to McDonald, the next UBS House of Craft experience will promote new themes and locations, such as gastronomy and Asia, noting, “We aim to expand with each edition to celebrate excellence in its many forms.”
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