Vintage 1973 Christian Dior Couture Sapphire Blue Chiffon Billow-Sleeve Dress
View Similar Items
Vintage 1973 Christian Dior Couture Sapphire Blue Chiffon Billow-Sleeve Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 46 in (116.84 cm)Bust: 36 in (91.44 cm)Waist: 28 in (71.12 cm)
- Style:1970's (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Chiffon, Rhinestones
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3093508983
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 1950's Beaumelle Sapphire Organza & Metallic Lace One-Shoulder DressBy BeaumelleLocated in Beverly Hills, CAFashioned from vibrant sapphire blue mid weight silk-organza, this 1950's Beaumelle creation has everything a woman wants. The bodice has a gorgeous ruched asymmetric one-shoulder shelf bust design. I adore the sparkling metallic threaded lace detail which is so playful and elegant at the same time. The alluring full pleated circle-skirt finishes this beauty off with a perfect Christian Dior New Look...Category
1950s American Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1986 Travilla Couture Whitney Houston Design Blue One-Shoulder Silk GownBy William Travilla, TravillaLocated in Beverly Hills, CABreathtaking 1986 Travilla Couture blue silk-jersey goddess gown which happened to also be Whitney Houston's choice design for the 28th Grammy Awards where she won for best female vo...Category
1980s American Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1950's Lee Claire Aqua-Blue Silk Ruched Asymmetric Draped Cocktail DressLocated in Beverly Hills, CAWith its vivid aqua-blue color and flawless sculpted silhouette, this Lee Claire designer cocktail dress has the sophisticated elegance the 1950's were know...Category
1950s American Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1990 Givenchy Haute Couture Sapphire Blue Draped Silk Velvet DressBy 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 gorgeous cocktail, dating back to his 1990 Fall-Winter runway collection, is a beautiful example of his brilliance. The fabric itself is a masterpiece; liquid silk velvet in the prettiest sapphire blue color. I adore the seductive criss-cross plunge bodice with lean, long zipper-wrist sleeves. The sparkling rhinestone-encrusted side buttons create the perfect amount of drama to this timeless piece. An hourglass nipped-waist skirt with side draping finishes this garment off with a perfect femme fatale vibe. It is an exquisite example of wearable luxurious from one of the most important houses of the modern era. Measurements Bust: 36-37 inches Waist: 26 inches Hips: up to 39 inches Sleeve Length: 24 inches Total Length: 46 inches This vintage Givenchy Haute-Couture 72436 numbered dress...Category
1990s Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1970's Chloe by Karl Lagerfeld Periwinkle Print Silk Asymmetric DressBy Karl Lagerfeld for Chloe, Karl LagerfeldLocated in Beverly Hills, CAAn ethereal and breathtaking Karl Lagerfeld for Chloe deco silk print dress dating back to the mid 1970's. Lagerfeld's strongly conceived and modernistic designs throughout his tenur...Category
1970s French Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1967 Givenchy Haute Couture Cobalt Blue Draped Silk Chiffon Caftan GownBy GivenchyLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA gorgeous Givenchy numbered haute couture royal blue silk chiffon draped gown dating back to his 1967 fall-winter collection. This caftan style go...Category
1970s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace Couture Blue Silk Documented Runway Dress, 1994By Gianni Versace, VersaceLocated in Portland, ORThis is a pretty blue crinkle silk Gianni Versace dress with topstitching down the front, side pleats, double shoulder straps and front faux pockets. This dress is documented from the Gianni Versace Spring Summer 1994...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
$1,280 Sale Price60% Off - Vintage Strapless Turquoise Blue Green Leather 1980s Dress in Size 4/6By Yucatan BayLocated in Portland, ORThis is a vintage Yucatan Bay 1980's Strapless Turquoise Leather Dress from the 1980's. This strapless leather dress has interesting top-stitching an...Category
1980s South Korean Day Dresses
- 1970s Bob Mackie Ray Aghayan Aqua Blue Dot Organza Maxi Dress w Puff SleevesBy Bob MackieLocated in Portland, ORThis beautiful, ethereal vintage Bob Mackie aqua blue dot organza dress has both a cream organza lining and a cream satin lining. The dress was featured on the cover of the book "Dressing for Glamour" by Gerry Bremerhas. This lovely dress comes with its original blue satin belt and closes with a back zipper that is covered with hidden snaps up the back. This dress was originally purchased at Bonwit Teller in the 1970's and it is in excellent condition! The beautiful gathered puff statement sleeves can be worn on or off shoulder and it is simply stunning in person! The Bob Mackie Ray Aghayan...Category
1970s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Oscar de la Renta Blue Turquoise Sleeveless Silk Dress W Bubble Hem Resort 2009By Oscar De La RentaLocated in Portland, ORThis is a timeless dress designed by Oscar de la Renta himself for his 2009 Resort collection. Oscar de la Renta always designed the most flattering dresses and we love his pieces! He was a designer we will always miss! The dress is in a lovely turquoise blue silk and is a sleeveless shirtwaist style with a surprise bubble hem! The dress buttons half way up the front and appears to have been only worn once if ever! This is a wonderful wedding guest dress...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1960s Blue Silk Chiffon Pleated Dress With Banded Hemline and BowLocated in Portland, ORWe love unique vintage 1960's dresses and this is such a fabulous blue silk chiffon evening or day dress with a banded hemline in a loosely draped pleated style. The dress has a bow ...Category
1960s Unknown Evening Dresses
$348 Sale Price49% Off - Vintage 1960s Blue Linen Beaded Halter Dress W White Beads & RhinestonesLocated in Portland, ORThis is an incredible vintage Caribbean blue linen dress with a stunning beaded halter style collar with rhinestones. This hourglass wiggle dress ha...Category
Mid-20th Century American 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.