1950s Christian Dior Paris Pink Silk Damask Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 37 in (93.98 cm)Marked Size: 8 (US)Bust: 36 in (91.44 cm)Waist: 30 in (76.2 cm)Hip: 44 in (111.76 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU55016650322
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- 1980s Hidy Misawa Black Velvet and Hot Pink Silk DressLocated in London, GBThis 1980s Hidy Misawa silk party dress is the perfect statement piece for any event and has a very contemporary feel. Hidy Misawa was a Japanese designer ...Category
1980s British Evening Dresses
- 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Pink Silk Asymmetric Dress with BeltBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in London, GBSpring/summer 1987 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche asymmetrical dress with sash belt and neck tie. This elegant design has an air of exoticism a...Category
1980s French Evening Dresses
- 1990s Guy Laroche Couture Pink Silk Crepe DressBy Guy LarocheLocated in London, GBExceptional Guy Laroche couture colour block evening gown which dates to between 1985 and 1991 and was most likely designed by Laroche himself prio...Category
1990s French Evening Dresses
- 1960s Hannalore Pink Silk Chiffon Sequined Pleated DressLocated in London, GBThis sensational 1960s silk chiffon pleated evening dress by Hannalore of London combines fairy tale glamour with a striking and elegant line. The dress is a sleeveless shift cut wit...Category
1960s British Evening Gowns
- 1960s Robert Dorland Pink Sequin and Beaded Mini DressLocated in London, GBI really love the simplicity and cut of this 1960s Robert Dorland dress. The unusual sequin and beaded arrangement which runs along the neckline and ski...Category
1960s British Cocktail Dresses
- 1960s By Roter Navy Blue Pink and Silver Banded DressLocated in London, GBTimeless 1960s occasion wear dress by high quality vintage British brand - Roter. This is their ready to wear label although its as good as their couture garments and the quality is exceptional. This is made from a silk/linen/manmade blend which has the appearance of raw silk. The bodice is a crisscross design with a beautifully constructed wide empire waistband that has a painted wooden oval belt...Category
1960s British Cocktail Dresses
- Jean Paul Gaultier Optical Illusion Nude Ethic Trompe l'oeil Vanessa Guide DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in PARIS, FRJean Paul Gaultier Optical Illusion Nude Body Ethic Trompe l'oeil Venus Stiped Mesh Maxi Dress Jean Paul Gaultier Optical Illusion ...Category
1990s Maxi Dresses
- Sleeveless cocktail dress with shiny and colorfull fringes Simona CorselliniLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRSleeveless cocktail dress with shiny and colorfull fringes. Snap on the left shoulder. Fabric composition: 96% rayon, 4% elasthane. Fringes: 50% acetate, 50% nylon. Size 42 (It) 38 ...Category
2010s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Shocking pink draped cocktail dress with ruffles Lillie Rubin Circa 1980By Lillie RubinLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRShocking pink draped cocktail dress with ruffles. Main fabric and lining composition: acétate. Zip in the middle back. Boned on the side. Bra inside the bustier. SIZE MCategory
1980s American Cocktail Dresses
- I. MAGNIN 1960's Hand Beaded Pink Chiffon Gown Size 4By I. MagninLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis I. Magnin gown is composed of a pink silk chiffon with a beaded bodice. There is a center back zipper closure. In excellent vintage condition. **Please cross-reference measur...Category
1960s American Evening Gowns
- Incredible Vintage Lillie Rubin 1990s Hot Pink Fully Sequined 90s Mini DressBy Lillie RubinLocated in San Diego, CASexy vintage LILLIE RUBIN 1990s schocking hot pink fully sequined and beaded mini dress! Features thousands of hand-sewn sequin throughout. Pink seed beads line the sleeves and plung...Category
1990s American Cocktail Dresses
- Oscar de la Renta F/W Runway 1984 Black Velvet Embellished Dress Gown US 8By Oscar De La RentaLocated in Montgomery, TXVintage Oscar De La Renta Black Velvet Embellished Maxi Dress Gown with Exquisite Embroidery Designer size - US 8 ( please check measurements) Timeless Classy Black Velvet Embellishe...Category
1980s American Evening Gowns
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.