Vintage Christian Dior Black Velvet Evening Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: French Size 40 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Portland, OR
- 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.
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 evening 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: Portland, OR
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Albert Nipon Vintage Black Velvet Lace Dress 1970s Victorian Renaissance RufflesBy Albert NiponLocated in Portland, ORThis 1970's vintage Albert Nipon Victorian renaissance evening dress is really amazing. This beautiful satin faced black velvet dress has a built in satin and tulle slip underneath. The bodice, collar and cuffs are trimmed in a lovely black lace and the dress is perfect for the holidays! Ruffles are very much on trend right now and even if they weren't, we think this dress is timeless and beautiful! There is a side metal zipper and I love the ruffled lace that makes the collar look so elegant. I would estimate this dress to be a modern day size 12, but please use the measurements as a guide. We are passionate about purchasing sustainable fashion and we believe that vintage and used fashion...Category
1970s American Cocktail Dresses
- Jean Patou 2pc Black Gold & Green Paisley Dot Metallic Silk Dress w Sheer BlouseBy Jean Patou Paris, Jean PatouLocated in Portland, ORThis 1970's sensational vintage 2 piece dress from Jean Patou is in a luxurious fine black silk and is covered with paisleys and dots in gold an...Category
1970s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1980s Stephen Yearick Black Dress Heavily Beaded Silk With Open Back DrapeBy Stephen YearickLocated in Portland, ORThis is a stunning vintage dress designed by Stephen Yearick in the 1980's. The dress came from the estate of a 93 year old retired California judge who had an incredible wardrobe filled with distinctive designer pieces from the 1960's through the 1980's. This dress is covered in black bugle beads and has a beautifully beaded waistband. The back of the dress has a zipper that starts at the waist but the back is open with a closure at the neck. The bodice is loose fitting and nicely drapes over the waist line.The dress is fully lined in silk and the long sleeves have zippers on the cuffs. The dress was made in Singapore in the early 1980s, and we estimate it to fit a modern day size 4/6. Please review the measurements as a guide, as many manufacturers use different size standards. Stephen Yearick creates a one-of-a-kind gowns in silk and chiffon, jewels and elaborate beading, and glamorous wedding gowns. We are showing a photo of Vanessa Williams...Category
1980s Singaporean Cocktail Dresses
- 1980s Oscar de la Renta Vintage Dress in Black Velvet with Pink Satin RufflesBy Oscar De La RentaLocated in Portland, ORThis is such a fun 1980's vintage dress from Oscar de la Renta in black velvet with gorgeous bright pink satin lined ruffles. We are obsessed with the 80's and this dress is a perfe...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses
- 2006 Valentino Runway Beaded Black Silk Avant Garde Beaded Jacket & SkirtBy ValentinoLocated in Portland, ORThis is an absolutely sensational Valentino Garavani Spring 2006 raw silk skirt evening suit with a gorgeous blazer that has a beaded bow with tassels i...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Bloomingdales Vintage 1980s Burn Out Black Velvet Dress With Metallic ThreadsLocated in Portland, ORThis is a lovely vintage evening gown from the 1980's from Bloomingdale's in a black burnout velvet with metallic threads for the perfect amount of shimmer. This pretty vintage dress...Category
1980s Unknown Evening Dresses
- Nipon Boutique Black Velvet Halter Dress with Satin Ribbon Size US 6By Albert NiponLocated in New York, NYNipon Boutique black velvet cocktail dress with satin ribbon trim and bows tied at neck and back. Flirty six paneled dress body with flared bottom. Fu...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses
- Adolfo Tropical Silk Jersey Strapless Dress with Half CapeletBy AdolfoLocated in New York, NYAdolfo strapless dress with bold green, indigo and white tropical floral print. Wonderfully tailored, with fitted bodice and draped open tulip front slit above the knee for movement...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Badgley Mischka Beaded Black Silk Lace Evening Gown Size US 10By Badgley MischkaLocated in New York, NYBadgley Mischka glamorous black silk lace evening gown, size US 10. Gown features hand beaded and embroidered lace with glass jet beading, and neckline with glass jet beads along cu...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Gowns
- Valentino Boutique Black Beaded Silk Chiffon Evening Gown Size US 6By ValentinoLocated in New York, NYLuxurious Valentino Boutique black silk evening gown with tiered ruffles, sweeping hemline and hand beaded and embroidered bodice. Two ruffles at bodice are hand beaded with tiny jet...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford FW-02 Silk Flared Hem Dress - Velvet RibbonBy Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Brussels, BEFlirtation and eroticism were on American designer Tom Ford’s mind for his Fall/Winter 2002 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche collection. Using stereotypical women’s fabrics for appropr...Category
Early 2000s French Sheath Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford SS-2001 Strapless Bandage Mini DressBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Tom Ford for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Brussels, BEA highlight from the Spring/summer 2001 YSL collection. This stretchy black strapless bandage mini dress with its wraparound belt that sculpt the waist ...Category
Early 2000s French Mini Dress
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.