Christian Dior Couture 1987 Magenta Evening Dress w Crystals by Marc Bohan
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: See Description (NA)Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 24 in (60.96 cm)Hip: 36 in (91.44 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Portland, OR
- 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: Beaverton, OR
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- 1920s Vintage Beaded Purple Paisley Dress With Red BeadsLocated in Portland, ORThis extraordinary 1920's vintage dress is lightweight wool in blue with a magenta, green and yellow paisley print design. Small red glass beads decorate along the hem and carry on t...Category
1920s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1970s Albert Nipon Vintage Dress in Black Satin With Ruff CollarBy Albert NiponLocated in Portland, ORThis beautiful vintage dress was designed by Albert Nipon in the 1970's. The dress is black satin with a ruff collar that has rows of topstitching. This is...Category
1970s American Day Dresses
- 1970s Victorian Revival Adolfo Vintage Black Dress With Lace & Sequin TrimBy AdolfoLocated in Portland, ORThis lovely 1970's vintage black knit Adolfo dress was inspired by the 70's Victorian fashion revival but it is so modern right now! We love the lace trim at the neckline, cuffs, and...Category
1970s American Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1990s Tadashi Shoji Gold Star Studded Bodycon Black DressBy Tadashi ShojiLocated in Portland, ORThis is a fabulous Tadashi Shoji black stretch bodycon mini dress with gold star studs. The dress is reminiscent of Versace and we love the way the dress is fitted and cut with a low...Category
1990s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
- Bob Mackie Green & Wine Velvet & Taffeta Vintage Plunging Corset Dress & WrapBy Bob MackieLocated in Portland, ORThis is an outstanding strapless vintage dress from Bob Mackie that was originally purchased at I Magnin! The boned corset style bodice of the dress is black velvet and laces with green taffeta ribbons through large round rivets that are covered in black sequins. The dress comes with a matching green taffeta wrap for chilly evenings. We love the deep plunging neckline and the shelf bust with inset burgundy taffeta on one side and green on the other. The skirt is an iridescent deep burgundy and it has a built in ruffled tulle skirt. There is a back zipper for closure and the dress comes with a coordinating iridescent green sash...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses
- Adolfo Vintage Silk Tonal Leopard Print Black Dress With DrapingBy AdolfoLocated in Portland, ORThis is a fabulous Adolfo 2 piece black silk dress with pencil skirt and top from the 1980's. The black silk fabric has a beautiful tone on tone leopard print pattern. The top has a ...Category
1980s American Cocktail Dresses
- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN 2018 Red Cut-Out Gown XSBy Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Alexander McQueenLocated in Berlin, BEALEXANDER MCQUEEN 2018 Red Cut-Out Gown Brand: Alexander McQueen Designer: Sarah Burton Collection / Year: 2018 Fabric: Viscose / Silk Color: Red Size: ...Category
2010s Italian Evening Gowns
- New LANVIN Duchesse Satin Vintage Gray Long Wedding Celebrity Gown US 2 4 FR 36By Lanvin ParisLocated in Goshen, KYSize: French 36 Brand: LANVIN Color: Light Dove Gray Season: Vintage Features: Strapless sweetheart neckline Draped detail throughout Ruffle detail at side Belt at waist Long leng...Category
2010s Wedding Dresses
- Vintage 1950's Neymar Couture Duchess Satin & Beaded Gown UK 4 US 0Located in Cheltenham, GBA once in a lifetime piece, this original 1950's Neymar Couture duchess satin gown, in the most sumptuous shade of cream, showcases true craftsmanship i...Category
1950s Ball Gowns
- Vintage Early 1940's Crimson Red Satin Evening Dress UK 10-12 US 6-8Located in Cheltenham, GBThis breathtaking early 1940's crimson satin dress, rendered in a full circle cut and tailored to perfection, is the perfect piece for that special occasion. The V shaped neckline...Category
1940s Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1930's Pleated & Ruched Amber Satin Dress UK 10 US 6Located in Cheltenham, GBA beauty to behold, this original 1930's satin dress rendered in the most sumptuous shade of amber satin, is the perfect statement piece for your special occasion wardrobe. The rou...Category
1930s Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1960's yellow sequin beaded cocktail dress wiggle dress UK 12 US 8Located in Cheltenham, GBThis breathtaking 1960's yellow knitted wool dress, embellished in its entirety with clear iridescent sequins, and finished with floral beaded details in yellow rocaille beads, and i...Category
1960s Cocktail 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.