1955 Christian Dior Haute-Couture Mocha Wool Cape-Coat & Blouse
View Similar Items
1955 Christian Dior Haute-Couture Mocha Wool Cape-Coat & Blouse
About the Item
- Designer:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Wool
- Condition:Excellent.
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: AU120805309180
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.
- Vintage 1960's Burke-Amey Couture Black Wool & Green Silk Applique Dress SuitBy Burke-AmeyLocated in Beverly Hills, CAUltra chic and super sophisticated Burke-Amey graphic appliqué 3-piece ensemble dating back to their 1968-69 fall/winter collection. Burke-Amey was started in 1959 by designer Ronald...Category
1960s American Skirt Suits
- Vintage 1991 Givenchy Haute Couture Green Pink Satin Strapless Jumpsuit & JacketBy GivenchyLocated in Beverly Hills, CAGivenchy, the name itself evokes glamour, refined elegance, simplicity and style. Givenchy's trademark of sculpted lines and luxurious fabrics make his work easily recognizable. This bold jumpsuit ensemble, dating back to their 1991 haute couture collection, is a beautiful example of his brilliance. The fabric itself is a masterpiece; luxurious emerald-green and magenta-pink lined silk satin. I adore the boned strapless bodice with over-sized cummerbund belt. The flattering nipped waist met by straight-legged trouser pants create the perfect amount of drama to this timeless piece. The matching hourglass peplum jacket complete with wide lapel-collar and over-sized pockets finish this garment off with a perfect femme fatale vibe. With this ensemble, you have one complete outfit or amazing separates! Measurements Jumpsuit Bust: 33-34 inches Waist: 26 inches Hips: up to 39 inches Length top to waist: 10 inches Length waist to hem: 41 inches Matching Jacket Total Length: 22 inches Sleeve Length: 23 inches Shoulder to Shoulder: 16 inches This 1982 Givenchy numbered...Category
1990s French Jumpsuits
- Vintage 1970's Ossie Clark for Radley Pink Celia Birtwell Print Crepe Dress SetBy Ossie Clark, Ossie Clark for RadleyLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA gorgeous Celia Birtwell print silk-crepe Ossie Clark for Radley ensemble that is both timeless and chic. Radley was a British clothing manufacturing company of the 1960's through the early 1980's. The main designer for the company, Raymond "Ossie: Clark, was a leading light in the London swinging sixties fashion era and is now renowned for his romantic flowing dresses. Ossie Clark vintage...Category
1970s English Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1971 Pierre Balmain Haute Couture Beaded Blue Velvet Jumpsuit and JacketBy Pierre BalmainLocated in Beverly Hills, CAExquisite Pierre Balmain Haute-Couture dark blue silk-velvet jumpsuit ensemble dating back to his opulent 1971 collection. This iconic designer created a very sculptural quality whic...Category
1970s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1970s Valentino Novelty Acorn Print Velvet Swing Jacket & Maxi Skirt SetBy ValentinoLocated in Beverly Hills, CAValentino’s work is timeless and dramatic. This early Valentino boutique creation, dating back to his fall-winter 1977 collection, is very unique in many ways. The novelty chestnut r...Category
1970s Italian Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1940s Gloria DeHaven Old Hollywood Celebrity Purple Silk Halter PlaysuitLocated in Beverly Hills, CAGloria DeHaven began her career as a child actor with a big part in Charlie Chaplin's 1936 film Modern Times. Years later she was signed to MGM, appearing in such films as Best Foot Forward, The Thin...Category
1940s American Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Yves Saint Laurent Saharienne Safari Two Piece Skirt Suit Set Pink Pockets 1990sBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in AMSTERDAM, NLVintage Yves Saint Laurent saharienne safari inspired two-piece set in baby pink with wooden buttons and big, workwear pockets. The iconic “Sa...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- Gucci by Tom Ford monogram canvas and leather pant suit, fw 2000By Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in London, GBGucci by Tom Ford; monogram canvas and tan leather pant suit. Flared high-rise pants with leather waist band and zip closure attaching both legs together....Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld brown tweed pleated coat, skirt and hat set, fw 1998By Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel brown tweed wool tweed coat, skirt and hat set ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Pleated jacket with spread collar and hook fastenings ▪ Belt with brass...Category
1990s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- NEW F.R.S For Restless Sleepers FRS Gold & Green Silk Dress Robe Coat MBy F.R.S.Located in Switzerland, CHLet F.R.S For Restless Sleepers’ exceptional maximalist approach to pattern infuse your outerwear edit with a healthy dose of luxury by way of this r...Category
2010s Italian Loungewear
- 2015 Chanel Black Boucle Wool and Gripoix Dress SuitBy ChanelLocated in London, GBThis fabulous 2015 Fall/Winter Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld black dress suit has a contemporary feel while still retaining the classic signatures of Chanel t...Category
2010s British Dress and Coat Ensembles
- Adele Simpson Belted Coat and Skirt Set 1960sBy Adele SimpsonLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous coat and skirt set from Adele Simpson in off white, burgundy and black plaid wool. The coat has 2 front flap patch pockets, fold back cu...Category
1960s American Coats and Outerwear
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.