One of the most storied houses in fashion, Dior has now arrived in Singapore with a beautifully curated showcase through UBS House of Craft x Dior, marking its Asian premiere. Celebrating eight decades of the maison, UBS has partnered with Dior on an expanded exhibition that traces its legacy through the archive and work of the atelier, bringing this edition to Singapore as part of its ongoing commitment to craft and cultural dialogue across regions.
With Singapore’s own sartorial scene gaining creative momentum across different cultures, it only feels fitting that this chapter unfolds here, at the New Art Museum Singapore. As visitors step into the space, they see archival material alongside rarely seen pieces from Dior Heritage and images pulled from the archive, forming a flowing story of ideas moving between eras.
Curated by fashion visionary Carine Roitfeld in close creative dialogue with acclaimed artist and photographer Brigitte Niedermair, the exhibition presents an extended series of Niedermair’s photographs—informed by her twelve-year relationship with Dior and her work within the House’s archives—set beside archival haute couture pieces that trace the creative signatures shaping each era of the Maison. From Monsieur Christian Dior’s foundational codes to John Galliano’s theatrical intensity, with the visions of Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, Raf Simons, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones also present, the exhibition gracefully brings these eras into a unified sweep, supported by pieces drawn from Dior Heritage.
This edition also introduces five new photographs unveiled for the first time, alongside visual and archival references to Singapore and the region, including designs that reference the city by name and silhouettes shaped by Asian craft techniques. Jin Yee Young, Co-Head UBS Global Wealth Management Asia Pacific and Country Head UBS Singapore shares: “At UBS, we see craft as a universal language that connects diverse worlds, from finance and fashion to art, horology and gastronomy. It is through this lens that we articulate our core values of care, expertise, and enduring commitment to excellence. We recognise strong parallels between our work in wealth management and the dedication and precision embodied by leading creatives in fields such as couture and horology. Our House of Craft initiative brings this philosophy to life, celebrating craftsmanship across disciplines and forging collaborations with like-minded partners who share our passion for excellence. Ultimately, it is about honouring the shared values that unite us and deepening relationships through this common pursuit of mastery.”
She adds: “Singapore, with its dynamic blend of heritage and modernity, provides an ideal backdrop for the Asia debut of UBS House of Craft x Dior. As a global metropolis, the city embodies the intersection of culture, creativity, and commerce. It is also one of UBS’s key hubs in the region, ranking among our top two wealth management centres in Asia-Pacific and also serves as the Southeast Asian headquarters for our investment bank. Staging this exhibition in Singapore reaffirms our commitment to the region and allows us to engage our clients through programming that resonates with their appreciation for fine craft while celebrating those shaping the cultural landscape of tomorrow.”
And what better collaborator to shape this edition than Roitfeld, with an illustrious career under her belt and now one of the leading figures in the fashion world. Working alongside Niedermair, she revisits Dior’s past with the instincts of an editor and creative director. And while monumental, this marks just the beginning of such collaborations: “UBS House of Craft is a global journey, and Singapore marks just the beginning for Asia. Following the presentation of UBS House of Craft x Dior, we plan to continue exploring craftsmanship across a range of disciplines, from couture and horology to new creative themes in future editions. Each edition will continue the dialogue between heritage and innovation, bringing together artisans, thinkers, and leaders who share our passion for mastery and excellence.”
Here, Roitfeld speaks to Vogue Singapore about the exhibition, her creative direction in shaping it, and the importance of craft in the wider fashion landscape.
This exhibition marks Dior’s first House of Craft showcase in Asia. How did you approach curating it for a Singaporean and regional audience—did you need to translate Dior’s codes differently?
You know, I never think of translation—I think of conversation. Singapore is so modern, so alive, yet so respectful of heritage. It felt very natural to bring Dior here, because this is a place that understands the beauty of precision, discipline and craft. I didn’t want to change the codes of Dior, but to let them breathe in a new light. The New Look, the bar jacket and the structure already speak a universal language. My role was to open a dialogue between Paris and Asia, between the archive and the now. I wanted to show that Dior’s femininity and its elegance can feel both timeless and completely of this moment.
You’ve long been known for your eye for subversion and sensuality. How did those sensibilities shape the way you framed Dior’s eight decades of creative direction in this exhibition?
I’ve always believed fashion is about tension—softness and strength, elegance and provocation. For me, the beauty is in the contradiction. Dior is known for refinement, for grace, but also for control. I wanted to disturb that just a little, to inject life and desire into the archive.
We mixed a Monsieur Dior jacket with a Galliano gown, added latex to couture, loosened the hair, and suddenly, it became less a museum and more a woman. That’s sensuality for me. When the clothes begin to move, to breathe, to seduce again.
You’ve worked with so many of Dior’s artistic directors personally. What did revisiting their work for this project reveal to you about the House’s evolution and your own creative journey?
It reminded me how much fashion is a family, how each designer inherits not only the codes but also the emotion of those before. Monsieur Dior created the dream, Yves gave it youth, Bohan gave it longevity, Galliano gave it theatre, Raf gave it purity, Maria Grazia gave it voice. And Kim Jones, he brings the language of today.
Looking at all of them together was like looking at my own life in fashion—the eras I lived, the stories I told. It was touching. You realise that evolution is not about replacing one vision with another, but about layering them, like memories. That’s how a house survives: through continuity, not repetition.
Your collaboration with Brigitte Niedermair feels cinematic, two auteurs reinterpreting Dior through image. Can you tell us about your creative dialogue with her, and how that exchange informed the visual narrative of the exhibition?
Brigitte and I share more than twelve years of collaboration through CR Fashion Book, so our dialogue is almost wordless now. We understand each other instinctively. Brigitte has a very intellectual, organised way of seeing—she knows the exact light, the frame, the mood even before the first click. I’m more emotional, more spontaneous. My role was to be the bridge between her precision and the storytelling—bringing a sense of narrative and sensual tension to her perfectly composed world.
The key was to present Dior’s history not as a series of separate chapters, but as one continuous, evolving story. We wove Monsieur Dior’s codes through every image—the waist, the silhouette, the attitude—while blurring the boundaries between designers. We could place a Christian Dior jacket over a Galliano gown, or add a touch of irreverence to something classically pure.
“Fashion, at its best, is not about clothes—it’s about desire, imagination and life. That’s why I’m still here. Because beauty, when it’s true, never gets old.”
UBS House of Craft explores craftsmanship as a shared language between disciplines. How do you see the idea of “craft” evolving in fashion today and what do you hope audiences take away about its emotional or cultural resonance?
Craft is everything. It’s not only the embroidery or the beadwork—it’s the cut, the construction, the way you make the waist. It’s invisible sometimes, but you feel it. It’s what gives emotion to a dress.
I think today, people want to reconnect with this idea of time, that luxury takes time. When you touch a couture dress, you feel the hours, the devotion, the human touch. Whether in Paris or in Singapore, the gesture is the same: patience, precision, love. I hope people leave understanding that craft is not nostalgia—it’s the future, because it’s human.
You’ve often spoken about the importance of instinct in your work. When curating or styling, what does that instinctive process look like for you now—has it changed with time, or do you still rely on that same sense of immediacy and intuition?
Instinct is my best friend, I trust it more than anything. I never begin with a plan; I begin with a feeling. Sometimes it’s the way a jacket moves, or the look in a model’s eyes. If I think too much, the magic disappears.
Of course, with time, you become more precise. You know what works and what doesn’t. But I still believe that the best decisions come from the gut, not the brain. You can study a picture for hours, but the first second tells you the truth.
Across your career—from Vogue Paris to CR Fashion Book—you’ve been both editor and storyteller. How do you balance discipline and freedom in your creative process, and what continues to excite you about shaping fashion narratives today?
Freedom without discipline is chaos; discipline without freedom is boredom. I need both. When I edit, I like structure. But within that, I love to break rules and to surprise. It’s like composing music: you need harmony, but also dissonance.
What excites me today is to keep finding new emotion in an image. We have seen everything, yes—but we have not felt everything. For me, that’s the mission: to make people feel again. Fashion, at its best, is not about clothes—it’s about desire, imagination and life. That’s why I’m still here. Because beauty, when it’s true, never gets old.
The UBS House of Craft x Dior exhibition will take place from 21 to 23 November at the New Art Museum Singapore. For more information, visit UBS.
