The “Dior: From Paris to the World” exhibit, which runs through March 3 at the Denver Art Museum, showcases the impressive 70-year legacy of Christian Dior and the subsequent artistic directors of the first worldwide couture fashion house.
You can see more than 200 dresses designed by Dior and his successors — Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri — as well as drawings, photographs, runway videos, costumes, jewelry and accessories.
Dior, who was born in northern France and later moved to Paris, is best known for his post-World War II designs that highlighted women’s femininity — “soft shoulders, accentuated busts and nipped waists,” according to the museum.
Feeling inspired by the Dior exhibit? Et voilà, here are nine French or French-inspired activities around Denver that will have you saying “Vive la France!” in no time.
- Primp like a Parisian
At Le Meridien, a chic hotel with Parisian roots, you can take your trip to the museum up a notch with champagne, caviar, cheddar gougeres and petite madeleines. They’ll also have a stylist on hand for hair and makeup sessions, as well as a car service to and from the museum. Best of all? You can nab two VIP tickets to the exhibit, which lets you skip the line and get inside, even if it’s sold out. Other hotels, including Hotel Teatro and The Jacquard, are also offering Dior-inspired packages (view a complete list of hotel packages on the exhibit website).
- Learn to speak French
If you’ve ever wanted to expand your French vocabulary beyond “escargot” and “après-ski,” now’s your chance. Sign up for language classes at several schools around Colorado, including Denver Language School, Globelink Foreign Language Center in Colorado Springs and Alliance Française de Denver, which offers classes in Centennial, Denver, Evergreen and Boulder. There are classes for all levels, so if you remember a little bit of French from high school, you won’t have to start completely from scratch.
- Drink French wine
One of the simplest ways to have joie de vivre? Drink a glass (or two) of French wine at La Cour, which claims to have the widest selection of French wines by the glass of any restaurant in Denver with more than 40 to choose from. Or sip on a “Jacques Rose,” a French twist on the Jack Rose cocktail made by La Cour bar manager Mattie Cowan with French brandy, cognac, French pear vodka, sour apple liqueur, lemon juice and grenadine. While you’re there, relax and listen to jazz in an intimate venue — tres chic.
- Eat French bread (and other pastries)
Just reading the menu at Trompeau Bakery in Englewood is enough to make your mouth water. Here you’ll find authentic French baguettes, batards, boules, sweet breads, macarons, palmiers, madeleines, financiers, croissants and sandwiches. The bakery is owned by Barbara and Pascal Trompeau, who opened their first French bakery in Vierzon, France. The couple lived in France for nearly 10 years before moving to Denver and setting up shop here. Pascal Trompeau comes from a family of bakers — his grandfather, father and brother also practiced the craft.
- Devour cheese
For a truly unique experience, head up to Longmont and visit Cheese Importers, where you can stand inside a massive floor-to-ceiling refrigerator full of 350 types of cheese. After that, wander through the shop’s European marketplace, which is full of knick-knacks, kitchenware, gifts, perfumes and more. Then, have lunch at Bistrot des Artistes, the on-site French bistro that offers soups, salads, sandwiches and charcuterie boards, as well as authentic French pastries and treats. The whole place has a certain je ne sais quoi about it.
- Go shopping
Want to experience Dior for yourself? You can have your own private Dior shopping experience that includes signed jewelry pieces by the famed designer when you stay at the French-inspired Ramble Hotel and book a special exhibit package. You’ll also be able to spritz on some Dior perfume and cologne in your suite before you head to the museum in a chauffeured Rolls Royce.
- Sample French cuisine
There are so many tasty French restaurants in Colorado, you really can’t go wrong. Among them: Brasserie Ten Ten in Boulder, where you’ll find classic French entrees like coq au vin and steak frites. If you find yourself in Cherry Creek, stop by La Merise, where you’ll find dishes like beef bourguignon and trout grenobloise on the menu. Or if you’re in LoDo, consider visiting Bistro Vendome, which is showing French-related movies and serving up a three-course meal on Monday nights through January. There’s also Cafe Marmotte, a cozy neighborhood bistro in Washington Park.
- Step back in time
As the name suggests, Hotel de Paris in Georgetown was founded by a French immigrant named Louis Dupuy in 1875. Over time, it served as a hotel, French restaurant, showroom for traveling salesmen and a boarding house. Today, it’s a museum that contains original furniture, decorations and other artifacts from the 19th century. For $7, you can get a highly rated guided tour of the museum, complete with stories about the people who lived and worked in the building over the years.
- Learn to cook French
If you’re tired of preparing the same tired dishes week after week, take a French cooking class and add a few new recipes to your repertoire. The French Kitchen Culinary Center in Colorado Springs, for instance, regularly teaches classes on how to make everything from crepes to French bread. And The Cook Street School of Culinary Arts in Denver offers French-themed culinary date nights, where you and your chérie can learn how to prepare French onion galette, bistro steak and dark chocolate souffle.
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