Celebrating a curated selection of NGV Collection works by the House of Dior currently on display at NGV International, NGV Senior Curator of Fashion and Textiles, Katie Somerville, takes us on a tour of twentieth century fashion history.
From the era-defining early designs of Christian Dior himself to the creative vision of Yves Saint Laurent, theatrically of John Galliano and modernity of Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri, we will explore the key moments in Dior’s history that have made it one of the most influential couture houses of the twentieth century.
Katie Somerville is the Senior Curator of Fashion and Textiles at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Katie has worked with a range of fashion and textiles collections for three decades, including at the National Gallery of Australia and Historic Houses Trust of NSW. She joined the curatorial department at the NGV in 1995, working across both the Australian and International collection. She currently manages the research and development of the Fashion and Textiles collection and the Campbell-Pretty Fashion Research Collection along with the ongoing program of publications and exhibitions for the Fashion and Textiles Department. During her time at the NGV Katie has curated and co-curated numerous exhibitions including: Westwood | Kawakubo (2025), Martin Grant (2025), Alexander McQueen, Mind, Mythos, Muse (2022) presented in partnership with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture (2017), Making the Australian Quilt:1800-1950 (2016), Express Yourself: Romance Was Born for Kids (2014), Melbourne Now (2013), ManStyle: Men + Fashion (2011), Together Alone: Australian and New Zealand Fashion (2009), and Akira Isogawa: Printemps-Été (2004).