A Christian Dior Lace Couture Gown Collection Ligne Oblique (?) Circa 1950
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: Equivalent Size 36/38 (EU)
- Style:1950 (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very Good Condition and Color.
- Seller Location:Toulon, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU63339317422
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: Toulon, France
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- A French Little Black Dress and Bolero By Nina Ricci Circa 1955By Nina RicciLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1955 France Little black dress and its bolero by Nina Ricci and signed Paris 55. Black stretch silk ottoman with parallel ribs allowing a tight fit and especially an interest...Category
1950s French Evening Dresses
- A Maggy Rouff Haute Couture black satin and velvet Evening Dress, Circa 1935By Maggy RouffLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1935 France Haute Couture Evening Dress Haute Couture Maggy Rouff in black satin and velvet from 1935. Jacket with round neck, collar and lapels of black velvet sleeves, puff s...Category
1930s French Aesthetic Day Dresses
- An Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Coat Dress Numbered 29390 Circa 1970/1980By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1970/1980 France Beautiful wrap dress in black wool crepe and swan feathers by Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture numbered 29390 Circa 1970. From the...Category
1980s French Evening Dresses
- A Christian Lacroix Dress in Printed Velvet Circa 1991/2000By Christian LacroixLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1991/2000 France Beautiful skin-tight dress by Christian Lacroix in printed velvet dating from the 1990s. Iridescent stretch elasthane velvet with g...Category
1990s French Cocktail Dresses
- French Evening Dress in Tulle net and Goffered Satin Silk Circa 1930/1940Located in Toulon, FRCirca 1930/1940 France Elegant long evening dress, collector's item, in cotton tulle and gold goffered satin with skin effect dating from the 1930s. Interesting structure with transparency effect: built-in under-dress in brown silk crepe with backless bustier and cut-out in V superimposed on cream tulle and chocolate brown cotton tulle. Small balloon sleeves with ruffles on the shoulders and V-neckline. Tulle of the skirt cut in the bias with large background. Long scarf in pleated gold goffered satin sewn to the collar ending in two front pockets. Reminder band in gold satin at the bottom of the under-skirt. Small matching pleated belt...Category
1930s French Evening Dresses
- A Jean-Louis Scherrer Amazone Set by Stéphane Rolland Look n°26 Fall Winter 2004By Jean-Louis ScherrerLocated in Toulon, FRFall Winter 2004 Collection France Jean-Louis Scherrer's Haute Couture fashion show Amazone set by Stéphane Rolland Look n ° 26 from the Fall Winter ...Category
Early 2000s French Jumpsuits
- Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white striped trainBy Roland KleinLocated in Austin, TX1980s Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white train. Acetate fabric. 34" bust, 26" waist, 40" hips, 48" front length - 54 1/2" ba...Category
1980s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- UNWORN Gucci by Tom Ford FW 2004 Black Silk & Tassle Evening Gown Dress 40By Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Switzerland, CHRARE COLLECTOR'S ITEM STUNNING PIECE BY TOM FORD FOR HIS FINAL COLLECTION IN FALL 2004 FOR GUCCI Seen on the runway show, in the AD campaign and in many editorials One of the key...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Gowns
- Vintage Tom Ford for Gucci F/W 1996 Black Jersey Dress Gown w Pony Hair Belt 42By Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Montgomery, TXVintage Runway Tom Ford for Gucci Black Jersey Dress Gown F/W 1996 Collection Designer size - 42 Black Jersey, Fully Lined, Slip-on Style. Black Pony Hair Belt...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- 1970s Vintage fluid black dress in sheer jerseyLocated in Milano, ITFluid black dress in sheer jersey with lurex copper profiles and belt. Deep V neckline. Wide shoulder straps. Size IT:40 Size USA: 6 Waist: 66 cm Length: 152 cm Bust: 80 cmCategory
1970s American Evening Dresses
- Iconic Tom Ford for Gucci SS 2003 Japanese Cherry Blossoms Mini Stretch Dress SBy Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Montgomery, TXIconic Tom Ford for Gucci Japanese Cherry Blossoms Mini Stretch Dress S/S 2003 Runway Collection Designer size - S Measurements: Length - 37", Bust - ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Lillie Rubin Black Sheer Angel Wing Gown with Rhinestone Plunge - Small, 1960sBy Lillie RubinLocated in Tucson, AZSimple but dramatic, this electrifying gown is perfect for the woman who isn't comfortable without a sleeve but also appreciates a touch of allure. Floating chiffon bell sleeves are cut from underarm to wrist to create an angel wing effect, while a double row of rhinestones trims the deep bust and back lines for even more drama. Made from the most luxurious, heavyweight silk crêpe imaginable. Full-length princess gown...Category
1960s 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.