Dior links past and present for Guggenheim International Gala coverage

French atelier Christian Dior celebrated art, the first love of its founding designer, with a two-night gala held at New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.

For the third consecutive year, Dior sponsored the Guggenheim International Gala held in the art museum’s emblematic atrium on Nov. 4-5. The event included a pre-party hosted by the Guggenheim’s Young Collectors Council and a benefit dinner on Nov. 5 honoring a number of contemporary artists (see story).

Supporting the arts
To involve its global network of enthusiasts, Dior encouraged followers to view live coverage of the pre-party that took place on Nov. 4 on its Instagram account. In the images shared, fans of the brand were given a glimpse of the celebrities in attendance, the night’s entertainment and the Guggenheim’s striking architectural features.

Looking forward to tonight’s event at the @Guggenheim International Gala in New York, made possible by Dior. Stay tuned for live coverage and red carpet arrivals in just a few hours. #GIG2015 © @dmheald

A photo posted by Dior Official (@dior) on Nov 4, 2015 at 2:10pm PST

During the pre-party, guests of the brand and the museum enjoyed entertainment by Canadian singer Grimes.

The following night’s benefit dinner honored artists On Kawara (in memoriam), Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian and Doris Salcedo. Proceeds from the benefit dinner tickets were given to the Guggenheim Museum’s general operating fund to support its exhibitions and educational programs.

To connect Dior to its interaction with the Guggenheim, and why this event was on brand, the fashion house shared a DiorMag article Nov. 5 that touches upon Mr. Dior’s relationship to the arts. Dior consistently leverages its founder’s identity into its modern happens.

Here, enthusiasts of Dior learn that its founder, before starting his couturier in 1947, opened an art gallery two decades before. Located in Paris, it was here that Mr. Dior and his friend Jacques Bonjean showed the work of Salvador Dali, a mutual friend of the young gallerists.

Mr. Dior’s love, appreciation and support of contemporary art began here when he showed Mr. Dali’s iconic “The Persistence of Memory,” a painting of melting clocks underneath the sun. In two year’s time, the gallery held a surrealist exhibit showcasing the work of Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Rene Magritte, Alberto Giacometti, Max Ernst and Juan Miro.

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