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.
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2010s Contemporary Christian Dior
Diamond, Stainless Steel
20th Century Christian Dior
Late 20th Century Christian Dior
2010s Christian Dior
20th Century Christian Dior
Late 20th Century Christian Dior
Base Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Christian Dior
20th Century Christian Dior
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Christian Dior jewelry & watches for sale on 1stDibs
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To tie a scarf on a Lady Dior bag, knot one end on one side of the arched handle. Position the short end of the scarf so that it faces straight down. Then, carefully wrap the long end of the scarf around the handle, working from one side to the other. Stop occasionally to reposition the short end to keep the tip facing downward. Once the scarf completely covers the handle, knot the other end. Shop a large selection of Lady Dior bags on 1stDibs.
- How do I read a Dior date stamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The last four digits on a Dior date stamp indicate the month and year. The first and third digits represent the months, while the second and fourth digits represent the year. For example, if your date code ends with 1109, then that would mean the time of manufacture was October 2019. This is the same code system used by Louis Vuitton.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022After seven years as an art dealer, Christian Dior retrained as a fashion illustrator, eventually landing a job as a fashion designer for French fashion designer Robert Piguet. In 1941, following a year of military service, Dior joined the fashion house of Lucien Lelong. Five years later, he was able to open a fashion house of his own at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris. At 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of vintage and modern Christian Dior clothing and accessories from some of the world’s top boutiques.
- Do Dior shoes run small?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Dior shoes tend to run narrow. It is often recommended to purchase a size up, especially if you don’t have narrow feet to begin with. Find a collection of vintage and contemporary Christian Dior shoes from a variety of top sellers around the world on 1stDibs.
- Who sells Dior eyeglasses?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A new pair of Dior eyeglasses are available from Dior directly as well as through multiple retailers. For physical store locations, consult the brand’s website. Shop a collection of vintage Christian Dior eyeglasses from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.