Christian Dior Coat Made of Silk, 2008
About the Item
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Width: 14.97 in (38 cm)Length: 29.93 in (76 cm)Marked Size: 38 (EU)Bust: 19.69 in (50 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Silk & lurex
- Condition:
- Seller Location:SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
- Reference Number:
Christian Dior
When Christian Dior launched his couture house, in 1946, he wanted nothing less than to make “an elegant woman more beautiful and a beautiful woman more elegant.” He succeeded, and in doing so the visionary designer altered the landscape of 20th century fashion. Vintage Dior bags, shoes, evening dresses, shirts and other garments and accessories are known today for their feminine and sophisticated sensibility.
Dior was born in Granville, on the Normandy coast, in 1905. His prosperous haute bourgeois parents wanted him to become a diplomat despite his interest in art and architecture. However, they agreed to bankroll an art gallery, which Dior opened in 1928 in Paris with a friend.
This was the start of Dior’s rise in the city’s creative milieu, where he befriended Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. After seven years as an art dealer, Dior retrained as a fashion illustrator, eventually landing a job as a fashion designer for Robert Piguet, and in 1941, following a year of military service, he joined the house of Lucien Lelong. Just five years later, with the backing of industrialist Marcel Boussac, the ascendant Dior established his own fashion house, at 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Just two years after the end of World War II, the fashion crowd and the moribund haute couture industry were yearning, comme tout Paris, for security and prosperity, desperate to discard the drab, sexless, utilitarian garb imposed by wartime deprivation. They needed to dream anew.
And Dior delivered: He designed a collection for a bright, optimistic future. “It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian!” exclaimed Carmel Snow, the prescient American editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, famously proclaiming, “Your dresses have such a new look.” The press ran with the description, christening Dior’s debut Spring/Summer haute couture collection the New Look. “God help those who bought before they saw Dior,” said Snow. “This changes everything.”
Dior’s collection definitively declared that opulence, luxury and femininity were in. His skirts could have 40-meter-circumference hems, and outfits could weigh up to 60 pounds. They were cut and shaped like architecture, on strong foundations that molded women and “freed them from nature,” Dior said. Rather than rationing, his ladies wanted reams of fabric and 19-inch waists enforced by wire corsets, and the fashion world concurred. The debut got a standing ovation.
In the subsequent decade, Paris ruled as the undisputed fashion capital of the world, and Christian Dior reigned as its king. With the luxuriously full skirts of his New Look, suits and his drop-dead gorgeous couture dresses and ball gowns worthy of any princess, Dior gave women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of war.
On 1stDibs, find an exquisite range of vintage Christian Dior clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, France
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Lanvin Pink and Black Silk Coat, 1960'sBy Lanvin ParisLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRLanvin -Pink and black silk coat. No size tag, it fits a 38FR/40FR. Additional information: Dimensions: Shoulder width: 40 cm, Chest: 57 cm, Sleeve length: 55 cm, Length: 105 cm Co...Category
1960s French Coats
- Mugler Black Coat Edged with Faux Fur 40FR, 2000sBy MuglerLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRMugler - Black coat edged with faux fur. Indicated size 40FR. Additional information: Condition: Very good condition Dimensions: Shoulder width: 49 cm Chest: 53 cm Sleeve length: 60...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Coats
- Guy Laroche Black Cape Embroidered with FurBy Guy LarocheLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRGuy Laroche - (Made in France) Black cape embroidered with fur. No size indicated, it fits a 38FR. Additional information: Condition: Very good condition Dimensions: Length: 77 cm ...Category
1980s French Capes
- Dior Python Coat, 2006By Christian DiorLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRDior - (Made in France) Python coat lustered with red. Crossed buttons. 2006 Fall-Winter Ready-to-Wear Collection under the artistic direction of John Galliano. 38FR size. Addition...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Coats
- Christian Lacroix Purple Silk Velvet Haute Couture Coat, Size 44FRBy Christian LacroixLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRChristian Lacroix - (Made in France) Purple silk velvet Haute Couture coat. Size indicated 44FR. Additional information: Dimensions: Shoulder width: 45 cm, Chest: 50 cm, Waist: 36 ...Category
1990s French Coats
- Emilio Pucci Blended Wool Coat with Multicolored PatternsBy Emilio PucciLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRPucci - (Made in Italy) Blended wool coat with multicolored patterns. 38FR size indicated. Additional information: Condition: Decent condition Dimensions: Shoulder width: 42 cm - Ch...Category
1990s Italian Coats
- ISABEL MARANT Darsha Convertible black quilted puffer padded shell jacket FR38 MLocated in Hong Kong, NTISABEL MARANT Darsha Convertible samurai black quilted puffer padded shell jacket FR38 M Reference: JYLM/A00057 Brand: Isabel Marant Model: Darsha Material: Nylon Color: Black Patter...Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Fur Puffer Coats
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Little Black Jacket, Cruise 2011By Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in Norwich, GBChanel La Petite Veste Noire, incredible collector's little black jacket, designed by Karl Lagerfeld for the Cruise 2011 collection. This design featured in the 2011 Chanel exhibitio...Category
2010s French Coats and Outerwear
- Beige cotton parka with detachable hood Christian Dior Monsieur SportBy Christian DiorLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRBeige cotton parka with detachable hood with a zip. Zip closure in the middle front and on the pockets. Belt, belt-loop and buckle. Shell composition: 100% cotton. Lining: 65% polyes...Category
1980s Hong Kong Anoraks and Parkas
- Verheyen London High Collar Green Leopard Print Coat Goat Hair Fur Size uk 12By Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London High Collar Green Leopard Print Coat Goat Hair Fur Size uk 12 This Leopard print coat is Verheyen London’s classic staple for effortless style and glamour. Verheye...Category
2010s Italian Coats
- Morphew Collection Purple, Orange & Gray Silk KimonoBy MorphewLocated in New York, NYThis Kimono is made from our deconstructed Silk linings of the Kimonos we use in our Japanese silk collection, as we are a sustainable company we waste nothing, Each piece is one of ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Coats
- Morphew Collection Orange, Purple & Green Silk Ice Dyed CocoonBy MorphewLocated in New York, NYThis Cocoon is made from our deconstructed Silk linings of the Kimonos we use in our Japanese silk collection, as we are a sustanable company we waste nothing, Each piece is one of k...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Cocoon Coats
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Too Soon for the Return of ’90s Fashion? As If
There's a renewed appreciation for the era's aesthetic, perhaps most notably among millennials seeking authentic, easy style.
14 Iconic Luxury Handbags and the Stories behind Them
When the name of a bag is as well-known as its brand, you know it's a classic.