Rare 1956 Christian Dior Couture Blue Floral Silk Portrait Collar New Look Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 44 in (111.76 cm)Bust: 38 in (96.52 cm)Waist: 31 in (78.74 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Beautiful museum-quality condition.
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3094112761
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Beverly Hills, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Vintage Missoni Psychedelic Silk Chiffon Beaded Cut Out Mini Dress w/ TagsBy MissoniLocated in Beverly Hills, CABeautiful 2009 Missoni designer runway dress with tags that retailed for over $3,000 when new. Redefining an entire genre of fashion, Missoni launched to fame as the boho chic trends...Category
Early 2000s Italian Mini Dress
- Vintage 1960's Malcolm Starr Beaded Ivory Chiffon Empire Goddess Bridal GownBy Malcolm Starr, Elinor Simmons for Malcolm StarrLocated in Beverly Hills, CAWith the sparkling embellishment and ethereal ivory creme color, this dazzling 1960's Malcolm Starr evening gown does not disappoint. The substantial weight of the draped silk chiffon fabric whispers high-end luxury. The bodice is an elegant shelf-bust empire plunge with sparkling adornment. Metallic gold embroidery and beadwork cover the whole bust; giving the garment so much depth and texture. This figure flattering designer gown...Category
1960s American Wedding Dresses
- Vintage 1970s Travilla Ivory Chiffon & Lace Illusion Dolman Sleeve Bridal DressBy William Travilla, TravillaLocated in Beverly Hills, CAExtremely chic late 1970's ivory silk-chiffon and rose-print lace bridal dress from the iconic Travilla label. William Travilla designed costumes for...Category
1970s American Wedding Dresses
- Vintage 1920's Seafoam Green Scenic Print Silk & Beaded Chiffon Art-Deco DressLocated in Beverly Hills, CAThere are lots of lovely 1920's garments still around, but every once in a while I come across one that sets my heart a flutter! This is an incredibly unique 1920's sage-green silk dress with a captivating Chinese architecture scenic print. I love encountering new novelty patterns in antique garments...Category
1920s Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1977 Bill Gibb White Eyelet Cotton & Jersey Low Plunge Maxi Wrap DressBy Bill GibbLocated in Beverly Hills, CAEthereal Bill Gibb of London documented designer maxi dress dating back to his documented 1977 spring-summer collection. His pieces are very collec...Category
1970s English Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1960's French Couture Pink Gray Embroidered Lace and Silk Strapless GownLocated in Beverly Hills, CAIn this gorgeous 1960's Vazken custom-made gown, the detailed construction and meticulous attention to detail are comparable to what you will find in modern haute couture. This gown ...Category
1960s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- 1980s Zandra Rhodes Abstract Motif Drop Waist Silk DressBy Zandra RhodesLocated in Scottsdale, AZLooking For The Perfect 80s Dress? Well It's Arrived! Circa 1980s, this Zandra Rhodes asymmetrical drop waist dress features a cream and black pattern of flowers, swirls and tribal i...Category
1980s English Evening Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent Silk Beaded Maxi DressBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Scottsdale, AZThis is a mid-century gem! This Yves Saint Laurent gown has details upon details. The most remarkable being the intricate beaded creating a pattern around the round neckline and the ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Maxi Dress
- John Galliano floral print silk chiffon drop-waist floor-length dress, fw 2008By John GallianoLocated in London, GB▪ John Galliano silk chiffon dress ▪ A sample made for Vogue ▪ Ivory and pink floral print with mauve base ▪ Cowl neckline ▪ Rolled shoulder straps ▪ Drop waist ▪ Multiple fabric ...Category
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN green silk PLATOS ATLANTIS PRAYING MANTIS GOWN Dress LBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Zürich, CHAlexander McQueen 'Praying Mantis' empire down in green silk (100%) with a round neck and is sleeveless. This collector piece is from the SS 2010 Platos Atlantis collection. Flares f...Category
2010s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
- Brunello Cucinelli Sport Grey Cotton Strech Day EnsembleBy Brunello CucinelliLocated in Bilbao, ESBrunello Cucinelli Sport Grey Cotton Strech Day Pool Ensemble Strech oversize cardigan and over shirt material: 75% Cotton & 25% Liurex Size Large Made in Italy *Orders welcome all goods are insured and we package all purchases to a high standard PRADERA Fashion Division...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Cocktail Dresses
- Antik Batik Pink Silk Leather Kaftan Blouson DressLocated in Brindisi, BtAntik Batik women's vintage short dress. Powder pink color, 100% silk, applications sewn by hand 100% leather. V-neckline, elasticated waist belt, lined. 1...Category
1990s Indian Tunics and Wrap 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.