FASHION: We all need beauty in our lives

Still from the film ' Dior and I '. Photo/Supplied

A while ago, I watched the documentary Dior and I. It is a brilliant look at the creative genius behind the French design house and a visual masterpiece.

The film explores the contrast between ordinary and extraordinary, showing the seamstresses and tailors who bring the designer's vision to life.

They talk of the mundane - their weaknesses for lollies and coffee and how they bus to work - but also their devotion to Dior and the skills, honed over decades, required for their work.
The movie culminates in the breathtaking showing of new artistic director Raf Simons' first haute couture collection.

The intricate gowns are modelled against walls of flowers after the brilliant Simons transforms a grand Paris building by lining every room, floor to ceiling, with roses, orchids, lilies and other flowers.

The job involves 50 people and, across the cinema, people inhaled sharply as the camera moved slowly through the dream-like spaces with the models.

Simons talks about how he looks at art every day, saying he cannot live without the inspiration it provides.

Watching Dior and I gave me the feeling of having been on a higher plane, one of imagination, emotion and possibility, and I left reminded of the need for things of beauty in our lives.

Although not all of us have the time or resources to transform our environments as lavishly as the House of Dior, we can still inject beauty into our worlds.

A bunch of flowers or a beautiful plant or print, for example, are more than just objects. They are ways to stimulate our senses, lift our mood and remind us of the richness of life.

Juliet Rowan is a Bay of Plenty Times Weekend journalist who writes about lifestyle for indulge.