1983 Christian Dior Haute-Couture Orange Strapless Pleated Silk Hourglass Gown
View Similar Items
1983 Christian Dior Haute-Couture Orange Strapless Pleated Silk Hourglass Gown
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Style:Strapless (In the Style Of)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Silk, Linen, Boning
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3091684243
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.
- Vintage 1970's Halston Couture Red Metallic Sheer Knit Long-Sleeve Dress GownBy HalstonLocated in Beverly Hills, CAGorgeous Halston Couture metallic lurex knit dress ensemble dating back to the mid 1970's. Throughout most of the seventies he epitomized the glamour, as well as the decadence of the...Category
1970s Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1970's Embroidered Patchwork Cotton Maxi Dress Worn By Zsa Zsa GaborLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA vibrant, early 1970's Joann Lopez designer embroidered cotton dress straight from Zsa Zsa Gabor's wardrobe. This dress dates back to the h...Category
1970s American Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1969 Rudi Gernreich Cross Your Heart Empire Red Navy Knit Mod Maxi DressBy Rudi GernreichLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA fearless designer, Rudi Gernreich’s body conscious garments dazzled the fashion world with originality and vision. Gernreich held a futurist view of fashion that resulted in innova...Category
1960s American Maxi Dresses
- Vintage 1995 Moschino Couture 'Ladybug' Novelty Black & Red Silk Halter DressBy Moschino Couture, MoschinoLocated in Beverly Hills, CASensational Moschino Couture 'Coccinella' titled ladybug novelty silk dress dating back to his 1995 fall-winter collection. As shown, this ultra rare and absolutely adorable garment is also archived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art! Moschino called himself half tailor, half artist; although he did not cut or sew, he drew frequently, quickly, and spontaneously! His cuts were meticulously constructed and traditional, as well as flattering to the wearer. This playful dress is a perfect example of why this brand has stood the test of time. Not only is this little number very alluring; it is so iconic. The flattering halter-tie bodice flawlessly acts as the antennas while the body is transformed into red wings...Category
1990s Italian Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1970 Courreges Hyperbole Orange Wool Space-Age Sleeveless Mod Mini DressBy André Courrèges, CourrègesLocated in Beverly Hills, CAVibrant and rare-to-find bright orange André Courrèges dress dating back to the early 1970's. Courreges launched his Space-Age collection in 1964. The ...Category
1970s French Mini Dresses
- Vintage 1973 Givenchy Haute Couture Orange Dotted Silk Carwash-Hem Caftan GownBy GivenchyLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA gorgeous Givenchy numbered haute couture vibrant orange polka-dot silk gown ensemble dating back to his 1973 spring-summer collection. This rare four...Category
1970s French Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld red cashmere wool and faux fur dress, fw 2010By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel red cashmere wool knee-length dress ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Faux 'fantasy' fur skirt and sleeves ▪ Funnel neck backed with brown lambskin leather ▪ Two front pockets...Category
2010s French Day Dresses
- Christian Dior by John Galliano red wool crepe dress with mink fur trim, fw 1999By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in London, GB▪ Christian Dior winter dress ▪ Designed by John Galliano ▪ Red wool crepe ▪ Ribbed wool trim ▪ Mink fur collar with knot detail ▪ Large wood buttons at ...Category
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Azzedine Alaïa red ribbed knit fishtail dress. Sculpted figure. Circa 1990By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Bilbao, ESAlaïa ribbed knit fishtail evening dress with nude knit underdress and zip fastening at the rear. Spring-Summer Mid 1990 Alaïa is revered for his indepe...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Cocktail Dresses
$1,935 Sale Price20% Off - Alexander McQueen Fucsia viscose dressBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Capri, ITAlexander McQueen Fucsia viscose dress McQueen adjustable flared dress totally made in italy size 40 composition: viscoseCategory
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Lanz Original Vintage Dress 1960s Hot Pink Tweed Sleeveless FringeBy LanzLocated in Portland, ORThis is a simply perfect hot pink classic late 1960’s vintage sleeveless tweed dress with a beautiful double hemline. This Lanz Original dress has pretty fringe, a 20” back zipper an...Category
1960s American Day Dresses
- McQ Alexander McQueen Orange Stretch Knit Dress W Cut Out Zipper DetailsBy Alexander McQueen, McQ Alexander McQueenLocated in Portland, ORThis orange Alexander McQueen dress is so special and we really love the diagonal bust zipper that is fully functional! You can wear it with the zipper open for a cut out effect. Thi...Category
2010s Turkish 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.