Christian Dior by John Galliano "G.I. Jane" Military Dress
View Similar Items
Christian Dior by John Galliano "G.I. Jane" Military Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU196974142
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. Vintage Dior bags, shoes, evening dresses, shirts and other garments and accessories are known today for their feminine and sophisticated sensibility.
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 couture 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.
- Oscar de la Renta Embroidered Silk Caftan with Matching dress New!By Oscar De La RentaLocated in Los Angeles, CAOscar de la Renta 2 piece silk caftan Fashioned of rich tomato red silk with matching slipdress. Neckline adorned with heavily embellished gol...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Caftans
$2,240 Sale Price20% Off - Oscar de la Renta Summer Late Day Evening Party DressBy Oscar De La RentaLocated in Los Angeles, CAFabulous Oscar de la Renta crisp white organza party pouf from the designer's runway collection. The one being offered is identical to that in the runway photo below. The red and wh...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
- Thierry Mugler Rare Black w/ Coral Inserts Petal Dress Rare CollectibleBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Los Angeles, CARare circa 1989-90 Thierry Mugler petal dress. During this period the designer created a few different versions of this style of which this ...Category
Late 20th Century Mini Dresses
- Alexander McQueen 2009 Futuristic Crystalized Print Sheath Dress -newBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Los Angeles, CAAlexander Mcqueen's Spring 2009 collection showcases the romantic, ethereal and purist side of the designer in his effort to send his message regarding the evolution of the world in ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Sheath Dresses
- Rodarte Homage to 1960's Tie-Dye Maxi Dress Neoprene CollarBy RodarteLocated in Los Angeles, CARodarte tie-dye motif creates an unusual and exotic look that was part of Rodarte's F/W 2013 collection. The Rodarte brand is now part of major museum collections such as the Costum...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Maxi Dress
- Balenciaga/Ghesquiere Rare 2001 Vogue Magazine Pick Chemise 1920's Style DressBy BalenciagaLocated in Los Angeles, CABalenciaga by Nicholas Ghesquiere 2001 Spring/Summer runway collection. This dress was photographed on the catwalk in white. The one being offered here is in the black and white comb...Category
Early 2000s Chemise Dresses
- Leonard of Paris Pastel Silk Chiffon Day / Evening DressBy Leonard of ParisLocated in New York, NYPretty pastel silk chiffon Leonard of Paris special occasion day / evening dress. Bodice has a ruffled capelet that flows from the center of the dress...Category
Late 20th Century French Day Dresses
- ALAÏA 1990 black knitted mini dressBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Genève, CHAlaïa knitted mini dress with sheer raised edge skirt -Back closing with a hidden set zipper -Long sleeves -Nude knitted lining -Made in Italy -100% V...Category
1990s Italian Mini Dress
- ALBERTO BINI 1990 leather mini dress with gold tone Lion NEW with tagBy AlbertoLocated in Genève, CHThis vintage dress from Alberto Bini is coming directly from the 90s, and it's also a beautiful ode to Versace universe. -Lion detail in metal gold tone ...Category
1980s French Mini Dress
- Ralph Lauren Collection Purple Label Pink Ascot Dress & Jacket S/S 2008 Sz 4By Ralph Lauren Purple LabelLocated in Saint Petersburg, FLRalph Lauren Purple Label - Flirty pink and black dress with matching jacket. This dress was featured on the Spring/Summer 2008 40th Anniversary ...Category
Early 2000s American Informal Dresses
- Alexander McQueen Runway/Editorial Fall/Winter 2005 Brown Sweater Dress Size MBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Saint Petersburg, FLAlexander McQueen Vintage Runway/Editorial Fall/Winter 2005 Brown Sweater Dress Size MediumCategory
Early 2000s Italian Informal Dresses
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Vintage Off-Shoulder Black Dress 1990sBy Chanel BoutiqueLocated in Berlin, BEThe perfect little black vintage dress by Chanel. This classic beauty is a 1990s piece designed by Karl Lagerfeld. This elegant Chanel dress is an incredible classic that will truly...Category
1990s French Mini 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.