Fashion Magic Unveiled: Dior and SCAD Partner for Exclusive Exhibition

The House of Dior is making its debut in a museum in the Southeastern U.S. through a partnership with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The Atlanta-based SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film worked with the French luxury house to create "Dior: Crafting Fashion", which opened on April 16. The exhibition, curated by Hélène Starkman, exhibition curator for Christian Dior Couture, and organized by Rafael Brauer Gomes, creative director of SCAD FASH museums, offers an unprecedented look at the company's history and how it has transformed over the years.

The exhibition is broken down into seven distinct thematic sections and includes pieces created by a range of Dior designers, from Christian Dior to Jonathan Anderson, as well as toiles that speak to the "petites mains"; expressive gardens; Lady Dior handbags reimagined by American artists and looks from fashion shows and red carpet events.

In total, there are more than 100 historic pieces in the show, some presented for the first time. SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace stated: "This spring, SCAD FASH celebrates the legacy and influence of Christian Dior, who conjured fashion with the precision of architecture and the passion of poetry". The exhibition explores the chronology of the creative process—from drawing board to workshop and from accessorizing to runways—and is based on the namesake designer’s initial dream of becoming an architect before running an art gallery until ultimately becoming a couturier.

Hélène Starkman, the exhibition curator, highlighted: "At the heart of this exhibition, specially created for SCAD and its unique learning environment, is the desire to convey the many forms that inspiration can take for a designer". The event also offers Dior a unique opportunity to tell the whole story of a collection and how it is born, from the first drafts in white muslin to the preparation of a runway show.

"Dior: Crafting Fashion" will be the finale for SCADstyle 2026, the university’s signature event celebrating all facets of style, design, and innovation. As part of the event, SCAD FASH will host a private reception for museum members and special guests of the university. Students from the university’s top-ranking degree programs including fashion design, accessory design, luxury and brand management, advertising and branding, photography, illustration, fashion marketing and management, will also have the opportunity to interact with the curators and others from the House of Dior through private tours and classroom lectures.

This is not the first time Dior and SCAD have worked together. In 2025, the exhibition of “Christian Dior: Jardins Rêvés” was exhibited at SCAD FASH Lacoste, a residential study-location in Provence, France, that drew record-breaking visitors.

Rafael Brauer Gomes, creative director of SCAD FASH, commented: "It has been a profound privilege to collaborate again with the legendary House of Dior on this exclusive presentation for SCAD FASH in Atlanta". "Dior: Crafting Fashion illuminates the extraordinary elegance, artistry, and craftsmanship that has defined the house for generations. The exhibition will be on view at the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film through Aug. 23.

Olivier Bialobos, deputy managing director of Dior, expressed: "Among the primary inspirations for this exhibition is the desire to share and reveal the entire creative process that gives rise to and reinvents Dior haute couture — this laboratory in motion — from white toiles to the defile". Sharing knowledge is also one of the key passions driving our creative director Jonathan Anderson, and we are therefore very pleased that this event is taking place at a university, the very symbol of knowledge sharing".