Following its global tour from Paris to Tokyo, the much-anticipated Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition has opened in Seoul, where it will remain on view at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) until July 13th, 2025. Set in the futuristic halls of Zaha Hadid’s architectural masterpiece, the exhibition celebrates Dior’s 75-year legacy through a culturally nuanced lens, tailored specifically to its Korean setting.
Curated by fashion historian Florence Müller and designed by OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu, the show transforms DDP’s vast, column-free Art Hall 1 into a fluid, immersive landscape. The layout takes cues from traditional Korean hanok homes, with the exhibition organized around a central courtyard-like space called The Garden. At its heart stands a soaring 12-meter moon jar, conceived as a walk-in sculpture blending light, hanji paper textures, and projection mapping—a collaboration with artist HyunJoo Kim.
Thematic galleries radiate from this center, each connecting Dior’s history to Korean craftsmanship and material culture. The Dior Legacy room uses the jogakbo patchwork technique to trace the House’s lineage of creative directors, while the Lady Dior gallery takes inspiration from red lacquerware cabinetry to create sculptural display cases.
Over 250 garments are on display, from Christian Dior’s original New Look designs to red carpet gowns worn by Korean and international icons like Jisoo and Natalie Portman. Adding to the Seoul-exclusive highlights is a curated presentation of the iconic Lady Dior bag, interpreted by Korean artists for the Dior Lady Art and Lady Dior As Seen By projects.
Artist Lee Ufan lends his minimalist brushstroke to three textured bags in black, mint, and ivory wool, merging the language of Mono-ha with the codes of couture. Soo Sunny Park contributes a shimmering interpretation that captures light and shadow through mesh and resin, while Zadie Xa reimagines the bag as a talismanic object, adorned with vivid, folkloric motifs. The exhibition also dives into Dior’s intimate world of scent, with archival perfume bottles and portraits of legendary muses like Rihanna and Charlize Theron weaving a sensual narrative.
With each iteration, Designer of Dreams adapts to its host city, but in Seoul, it resonates as a poetic exchange between two cultural powerhouses—Dior and Korea—where fashion, art, and memory entwine.
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams installation views
Photography by KYUNGSUB SHIN