Christian Dior Coat
About the Item
- Designer:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3507219346252
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Christian Dior Mink CoatBy Christian DiorLocated in London, GBChristian Dior Mink Coat Condition: Very excellent Colour: black Size: 38 Material: 100% mink, 100% fox fur on collar This Christian Dior m...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Coats and Outerwear
- Christian Dior Mink Black CoatBy Christian DiorLocated in London, GBChristian Dior Mink Black Coat This Christian Dior mink black coat is a stunning and elegant piece that is perfect for any occasion. Made from high-quality ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Coats and Outerwear
- Christian Dior Red Silk CapeBy Christian DiorLocated in London, GBThis Christian Dior red silk cape is a stunning and elegant piece that is sure to turn heads wherever you go. It is made from high-quality silk and features a...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Coats and Outerwear
- Christian Dior Diorissimo Ombre Crocodile Tote Medium BagBy Christian DiorLocated in London, GBChristian Dior Diorissimo Ombre Crocodile Tote Medium Bag Condition: Excellent Condition Colour: Blue & Black Box : No Dust bag: No Material: Crocodile Leather Size: L31 cm, W1...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
- Christian Dior Midnight BlueBy Christian DiorLocated in London, GBChristian Dior Midnight Blue Condition: Pristine Condition , Like New with Tags Colour: Midnight Blue Season: All Size : 10 Material: Wool This Christian Dior midnight blue dress...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Christian Dior Black Blazer With Faux Pearls Complete set with SkirtBy Christian DiorLocated in London, GBChristian Dior Black Blazer With Faux Pearls Complete set with Skirt This Christian Dior black blazer with faux pearls complete set with skirt is a stunning and elegant piece that is...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Skirt Suits
- Dolce & Gabbana pink and black tie-dyed fur maxi coat, fw 1999By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana pink and black tie-dyed maxi coat ▪ Sheared rabbit fur ▪ The same design famously worn by Whitney Houston during her world tour in 1999 ▪ Limited Edition colourw...Category
1990s Italian Coats and Outerwear
- Laura Biagiotti Purple Cotton Classic CoatBy Laura BiagiottiLocated in Brindisi, BtVintage cotton coat by Italian designer Laura Biagiotti, purple with three gold-colored buttons on the bust and two pockets on the sides. Made in Italy of 1980s in excellent conditio...Category
1980s Italian Coats
- CHANEL purple cotton 2020 20C FOUR POCKET TWEED Jacket 38 SBy ChanelLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Chanel collarless tweed jacket in purple cotton (100%). Features a slight V-neck, four buttoned patch pockets and shoulder patches. Closes with concealed hook and eyes...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Coats
- Brand new Loro Piano with fox fur trim size 8By Loro PianaLocated in Montreal, QuebecPRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Brand new loro piana with fox fur trim Condition: Brand New Closure: Buttons Color: gray Material: Wool / Fox Garment type: Coat Sleeves: Straight Pocke...Category
2010s Coats
- Louis Vuitton Men's Large Limited Aloha Fil Coupe Track Baseball Jacket 928lv72By Louis VuittonLocated in Dix hills, NYMade In: Italy Measurements: Length: 21" Width: .5" Height: 27.5" OVERALL EXCELLENT CONDITION ( 9/10 or A ) Shoulders: 19" Pit to Pit: 22" Sleeve Seam To End: 29" Waist: 20" Me...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Hooded Jackets
- Gucci Magenta Silk Jacquard X Long Rectangle Self Fringe Shawl/ScarfBy GucciLocated in West Palm Beach, FLGucci magenta silk jacquard X-long rectangle, self fringe shawl/scarf. This beautiful scarf in Pantone's colour of the year for 2023, magenta. Wear as a shawl or scarf the silk is a...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shawls
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.