Christian Dior New York Strapless Gown circa 1950s
View Similar Items
Christian Dior New York Strapless Gown circa 1950s
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Length: 51 in (129.54 cm)Bust: 30 in (76.2 cm)Waist: 24 in (60.96 cm)
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: 283651stDibs: LU58332485841
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.
- James Galanos Halter Gown (Circa 80s/90s)By James GalanosLocated in Los Angeles, CAJames Galanos Halterneck Gown Vintage Circa late 1980's or early 1990's Made in the United States Black and White Floral print Silk Black satin halter neckline Empire waist C...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
$1,996 Sale Price20% Off - John Galliano for Christian Dior Gown Spring/Summer 2010By John Galliano, Christian DiorLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis is a gown by John Galliano for Christian Dior from the spring/summer 2010 runway show. It features a corseted boustier, a crystal beaded embroidery design on the front of the s...Category
2010s Evening Gowns
- Attico Color Block Sequin Wrap DressLocated in Los Angeles, CAColor block sequin wrap dress by Attico Wrap style mini dress V-neckline Color-blocked multicolored sequins throughout Blouson Long sleeves with t...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Jean Paul Gaultier Pleated Dress FW2002By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Los Angeles, CAVintage Pleated Stitched Long Dress by Jean Paul Gaultier Femme Fall / Winter 2002 Ready-To-Wear Made in Italy Black Long sleeve Floor length dress Turtle neckline Pleated and stitch...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vintage Bob Mackie Purple Sequin Mardi Gras GownBy Bob MackieLocated in Los Angeles, CAVintage Purple Sequin Mardi Gras Gown by Bob Mackie Boutique Circa 1980s Purple/pink Long sleeve Purple and pink floral beaded and sequin embellish...Category
1980s North American Evening Gowns
- Missoni Long Sleeve Wave Knit DressBy MissoniLocated in Los Angeles, CALong Sleeve Wave Knit Dress by Missoni Circa late 90s Green/Blue/Black Knit wave stripe detail throughout dress Long sleeve Fabric stretches Dress has black spaghetti strap slip Mad...Category
1990s Unknown Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 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
- Extremely Rare Mariano Fortuny Cotton DelphosBy FortunyLocated in Riverdale, NYThis extraordinarily rare dress is made of finely pleated white cotton. Few cotton pleated Fortuny dresses have been documented and survived.
Named after a Greek clas...CategoryEarly 20th Century Italian Art Deco Delphos Gowns
Price Upon Request - Late 60s vintage Maggy Rouff long trapeze dressBy Maggy RouffLocated in L'ESCALA, ESRare and beautiful vintage long dress from the late 60s early 70s by Maggy Rouff. Orange, white and green chevron patterns on a frog green backgroun...Category
1960s French Maxi Dress
- Gucci S/S 2005 vanilla silk plunging halter cutout cocktail dressBy Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in Milano, IT- Designed by Tom Ford - Sold by Skof.Archive - Plunging neckline - Cutout open back - Concealed zip closure at side - Spring Summer 2005 Size FR 36 - IT 40 - UK 8 - US 6 (EU) ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Gowns
- New W/ Tags Valentino Silk Dress Size 40By ValentinoLocated in Leesburg, VAValentino Bran New With Tags Size 40 100% Silk With Bell Sleeves and Tie at Neck Concealed Zip Closure at Back Bust: 35.25" Waist: 35.5" Hip: 41" Length: 34.75" Fabric: 100% Silk; L...Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Evening Dresses and Gowns
$1,985 Sale Price51% Off - Oscar de la Renta Pale Pink Organza Silk Embroidered Sleeveless Dress XLBy Oscar De La RentaLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Elegant and simply breathtaking, this Oscar de la Renta creation is an absolute masterpiece. It has been crafted from pure silk organza and comes in a lovely shade of pale pink. This...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
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.