CHRISTIAN DIOR Silk camisole top, c. 2000s
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 38 (EU)Bust: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Style:2000s (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Genève, CH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2663215423452
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: Genève, Switzerland
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- GUCCI RTW FW 2009 silk lurex ShirtBy GucciLocated in Genève, CHFabulous silk metallic shirt from Gucci Fall 2009 RTW Collection designed by Frida Giannini -Metallic fabric double effect in grey and purple -Closed ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Chemises
- KENZO FW 1992 black silk Bustier NEW with tagBy Kenzo Paris, Kenzo TakadaLocated in Genève, CHKenzo black satin corset bustier with structured bust is from the last collection designed by Kenzo Takada himself. New conditions. - 7 fabric buttons fastening - Fully lined - 67% Acetate / 33% Silk - FW...Category
1990s French Bustiers
- JEAN PAUL GAULTIER SS 2001 co-ord mesh shirt and trousers Bacteria printBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Genève, CHCo-ord set with iconic Bacteria print from Gaultier SS 2001, fantastic condition. Made in Italy. Set is Top is in size XL, made of extremely flexible polyamide mesh and can fit from...Category
Early 2000s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Maille turquoise mesh shirt Y2KBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Genève, CHJean-Paul Gaultier semi-sheer mesh top -Maille Femme collection -Made in Italy -Circa 1995-2005 -100% Polyamid -Estimated size: 36 FR to 40 FR (marke...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French T-Shirts
- Colllector JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Asian mesh shirtBy Jean Paul Gaultier Soleil, Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Genève, CHRare Jean Paul Gaultier Early 00s mesh T-Shirt with vibrant Asian print, as seen on Beyoncé for InStyle Magazine (May 2003) shot by Fabrizio Ferri....Category
21st Century and Contemporary French T-Shirts
- JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 1990 fringed denim shirt - part of a setBy Gaultier JeansLocated in Genève, CHBlue denim shirt with fringe trim by Jean Paul Gaultier, wear yours with the matching skirt. -Frayed fringe details along seams and hems -Metal lo...Category
1990s Italian Chemises
- Christian Lacroix SS-2003 Nylon Mix Primitiv Print TopBy Christian Lacroix Paris, Christian LacroixLocated in Brussels, BESportswear -and colored bodywear- were key trends during the 1990s, when lycra took over fashion and changed the way designers made their collections. Despite his love of volume and ...Category
1990s French Blouses and Tops
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford FW-2003 Cotton Jersey Draped Sleeveless TopBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Tom Ford for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Brussels, BEA highlight from the Fall/Winter 2003 YSL collection, this sensually draped top emphasizes every curve, while the semi-sheer finish of its jersey does not leave much room to the imag...Category
Early 2000s Italian Blouses and Tops
- Halston Black Crepe Studded Tunic, c.1970s.By HalstonLocated in New York, NYHalston Black Crepe Studded Tunic, c.1970s. Halston Black Crepe Tunic featuring bateau neckline and elasticated waist. Allover studs creates a Starry night effect. Diffusion Line ...Category
1970s American Tunics
- S/S 1991 Gianni Versace Vogue Pop Art Printed Silk ShirtBy Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in Concord, NCGianni Versace Vogue vintage multicolored printed pop art shirt from the Spring 1991 collection. Featuring the iconic Vogue print with Vogue magaz...Category
1990s Italian Shirts
- F/W 1992 Gianni Versace Bondage Buckle Bustier Bra Top Miss S&MBy Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in Concord, NCGianni Versace Couture black bustier bra top from the Fall/Winter 1992 “Miss S&M” collection. As seen on Yasmeen Ghauri, and Helena Christensen on the Fall Winter 1992 runway, and on...Category
1990s Italian Bustiers
- Jean Paul Gaultier Jumior Jeans Lace Up Coset Denim Optical Illusion Vest TopBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in PARIS, FRJean Paul Gaultier Jumior Jeans Lace Up Coset Denim Optical Illusion Vest Top This iconic vintage Junior Gaultier corset top from the early 1990. Buttoned down the front with gold ...Category
1990s French Corsages
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.