Christian Dior Fitted and Flared Green Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: FR 36 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Geneva, CH
- Reference Number:
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: Geneva, Switzerland
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Christian Dior Fall 2008 Black and Off-white Houndstooth Dress by John GallianoBy Christian DiorLocated in Geneva, CHThis pre-owned in very good condition dress was part of the Fall 2008 collection designed by John Galliano. It is crafted in a beautiful houndstooth wool fabric and is trimmed with b...Category
Early 2000s French Day Dresses
- Dolce & Gabbana Animal Print Silk Sleeveless DressBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Geneva, CHThis pre-owned dress from the house of Dolce & Gabbana is crafted in a beautiful iconic animal print silk. It features a drappé in the front down the waistline and is sleeveless. Fa...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Chanel Métiers d'Art Paris-Rome Pre Fall 2016 Cashmere DressBy ChanelLocated in Geneva, CHThis great classy and confortable dress is part of the Métiers d'Art Paris-Rome Pre Fall 2016 collection from the house of Chanel. It is crafetd in a beautiful soft colors cashmere k...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Christian Dior SS 2019 Lily of the Valley Print Tulle DressBy Christian DiorLocated in Geneva, CHThe lily of the valley was Mr. Christian Dior’s favorite flower and one of his lucky charms. He dedicated his whole Spring 1954 collection to his favorite flower. For the Spring Summ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Azzedine Alaïa Greige Knit Mesh Sleeveless DressBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Geneva, CHThis pre-owned flare sleeveless dress from Azzedine Alaïa is a timeless shape and design. It is crafted in a delicate greige color knit mesh fabric. The neckline is V-shape and the w...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Christian DiorBy Christian DiorLocated in Geneva, CHThis lovely pre-owned but new Christian Dior dress is part of the Dior Fall 2023 collection held at the Gate of India in Mumbai. It is crafted in a beautiful light cotton veil in a s...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Rare 1980's Thierry Mugler "Show those Legs" Halter Hi Low Evening DressBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Los Angeles, CACirca 1980's Thierry Mugler rare kelly green shantung silk form fitting halter dress. Edgy hi fashion silhouette with strong lean lines; stylish hi...Category
1980s French Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage Moroccan Caftan Emerald Green Maxi Dress, circa 1970 Size MLocated in North Hollywood, CAElegant vintage Moroccan cotton green caftan embroidered with white threads design. The kaftan features a traditional neckline, with side slits and gent...Category
20th Century Moroccan Kaftans
- Cashmere Brown and Turquoise Caftan 1980s RobeLocated in North Hollywood, CAHandmade Moorish cashmere brown and turquoise long maxi dress caftan from North Africa, Morocco. Vintage 1980s caftan robe. Caftan with running down the center round braided buttons ...Category
Late 20th Century Moroccan Caftans
- Tiffeau & Busch LTD. 1966 Chartreuse & Black Silk Organza & Twill Maxi DressBy Jacques Tiffeau & BuschLocated in West Palm Beach, FLTiffeau & Busch LTD. New York, 1966 chartreuse yellow & black hand print silk organza & silk twill maxi dress. Jacques Tiffeau was known for his elegant designs crafted from start to finish by a designer who actually knew the process & could preform the art all by himself, a rare feat in these fast fashion times, when some designers don't even know how to sew. Tiffeau had vision and lived in the time when he was able to express his talent in new and meaningful ways, encouraging 1960s woman...Category
1960s American Maxi Dresses
- Alexander McQueen Bustier Silk Poision Green Corset Evening Mini Midi DressBy Alexander McQueenLocated in PARIS, FRAlexander McQueen silk dress. You can variate the straps, they can be placed on your shoulder, or let your shoulder free. 100% silk. VER...Category
Early 2000s Evening Dresses
- Stephen Burrows Lime Green Layered Chiffon & Jersey GownBy Stephen BurrowsLocated in Greenport, NYGorgeous sleeveless full length empire maxi dress by world renowned designer, Stephen Burrows. Stephen Burrows is an American fashion designer...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Waist 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.