Home

Tracy’s Letters from France: Dior Exhibit

Dear Ones,

Somehow we forgot that when you travel in France, you need an extra suitcase for the gifts and treasures you find and want to bring home!

Well, here we are, after three early days in Paris, then Provence, now back in Paris and we haven’t even gotten to Normandie and Brittany yet, much less the Loire Valley for the wedding. Yikes!

Spoiler alert: We bought a new suitcase for our gifts!

We had a magnificent morning tour of the Dior Gallery today. Three hours seeing the designs, drawings and legacy of fashion icon, Christian Dior. The Gallery opened just 6 months ago! It includes 452 dresses and 1,422 accessories. Absolutely spectacular. Creative, gorgeous. Bery and Ma Mere would have loved it! We were awestruck at every turn. Four full floors! Spectacular! (Beaucoup exclamation points!!!)

When I walked in the door, and saw the first display, I spontaneously started to cry! I don’t know where the tears came from. I just thought of Ma Mere and Bery and all the sewing Bery did for Libby and me and how much Mom loves and knows about and follows fashion and I couldn’t stop weeping! The gracious guide kindly smiled and said, “Many people get emotional when they first see the exhibit.” That was me! (I had those same profound emotions the first time I saw the Grand Canyon in 1987! Awestruck with its beauty.)

Even Dad was awestruck at the influence that Dior had beyond women’s dresses on design, architecture and color. The pictures of his family’s home and gardens told a more complete story!

His drawings are amazing and the Gallery is in his original atelier! At one point, he had 1,100 people working for him! And Dior died at just 52 years old! 

Jon Medina? We thought of you throughout the exhibit. I believe you’d identify with Dior’s creativity. I have a photo of one of his quotations for you: “Suddenly, one such flash of inspiration gives me an electric shock…”

After Dior, we had to catch our collective breaths. We walked to the metro, talking about what we had just witnessed, and took the subway to Montmartre. We spent the rest of the day there! Plus, a prayerful tour of Sacre Coeur Cathedral. Love to you all!

What a day,
Love & more love,
— Mom, Dad and M-eee