2006 Denim And Leather Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 10 (UK)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3757222320962
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 2 days of delivery.
- Jean Paul Gaultier S/S 1994 Les Tatouages Mesh Mini DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GBJean Paul Gaultier S/S 1994 "Les Tatouages" Mesh Mini Dress. Features tattoo print arms, colorblock body, black lace back and mini length. In excellent vintage condition. Label size...Category
1990s French Casual Dresses
- Roccobarocco Vintage 2000’s Diamonte Corset DressBy RoccobaroccoLocated in London, GBWe are excited to present this Roccobarocco 2000’s diamonte corset sleeveless black dress. Features spaghetti straps, diamonte corset detail with lace ruffled hemline and mini length...Category
Early 2000s Italian Mini Dresses
- Roberto Cavalli S/S 2022 Blue Tiger Backless DressBy Roberto CavalliLocated in London, GBWe are excited to present this incredible Roberto Cavalli S/S 2022 Blue Tiger Dress. Features cowl neck, open back with concealed zipper, gold tiger teeth...Category
2010s Italian Maxi Dresses
- Christian Dior Vintage F/W 2003 Floral Slip DressBy Christian DiorLocated in London, GBWe are excited to present this John Galliano for Christian Dior Fall Winter 2003 pink floral slip dress. Features spaghetti straps, side button c...Category
Early 2000s French Mini Dresses
- Versace Vintage 2000’s Metallic Mini DressBy VersaceLocated in London, GBWe are excited to present this vintage 2000’s Versace Jeans Couture metallic beige dress. Features a back zip closure and mini length. In excellent vinta...Category
Early 2000s Italian Mini Dresses
- Alaia S/S 1990 Runway Blue Bodycon DressBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GBAlaia Vintage S/S 1990 Runway Blue Bodycon Dress. Features blue and white knit fabric, scoop neckline and mini length. In excellent vintage condition. Label size: XS Modern size: UK...Category
1990s French Mini Dresses
- Comme Des Garçons Button-up Black Chiffon Shirt DressBy Comme des GarçonsLocated in Berlin, BEComme Des Garçons Button-up Black Shirt Dress Brand: Comme Des Garçons Designer: Rei Kawakubo Collection/Year: 2000s Fabric: Cotton / Chiffon Color: Black Size: XS Japanese desig...Category
2010s Japanese Casual Dresses
- Vintage 1920's Gold Beaded Sequin Dress Flapper Dress UK 6-8 US 2-4Located in Cheltenham, GBFull of opulent original details, rendered in the most luxurious fashion, this rare 1920's piece is a beauty to behold and never again find. The rounded neckline of the dress, is fr...Category
1920s European Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1920's Black Silk Chiffon Beaded Bow Dress UK 12 US 8Located in Cheltenham, GBFull of opulent original details, rendered in the most luxurious fashion, this rare 1920's piece is a beauty to behold. On a base of black silk chiffon and embellished with glass bea...Category
1920s European Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage Late 1950's Black Christian Dior Dress UK 8 US 4By Christian DiorLocated in Cheltenham, GBThis collectible and rare late 1950's Christian Dior dress, rendered in a deep black wool crepe, showcases the iconic silhouette of the era, whilst remaining to this day a classic an...Category
1950s European Cocktail Dresses
- Chanel Resort 2013 DressBy ChanelLocated in Brooklyn, NYBehold this exquisite Chanel pale pink dress, a radiant gem plucked from the illustrious resort 2013 collection, as famously showcased on the elegant runway by none other than the ca...Category
2010s Day Dresses
- 1980’s Moschino Mare Vintage Minnie Mouse Knit Mini DressBy MoschinoLocated in Concord, NCSuper fun and whimsical rare Moschino late 80's/early 90's polka dot minnie mouse inspired dress accented with a yellow bow. Featuring a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. An iconi...Category
1980s Italian Day Dresses
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.