Christian Dior blue beaded crochet multifunctional scarf, top, skirt, c. 1968
View Similar Items
Christian Dior blue beaded crochet multifunctional scarf, top, skirt, c. 1968
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: Small / Medium (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140212681972
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.
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld terry cloth robe, ss 1994By Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel terry cloth robe ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ All over print features iconic Chanel designs illustrated by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Two front po...Category
1990s French Beachwear
- Dolce & Gabbana viscose jersey turquoise floral pant suit, circa 1999By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana viscose jersey turquoise floral pant suit with embellished cuffs c. 1996-1999Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- Margiela pink cotton oversized deconstructed folded shirt, ss 2001By Maison Martin MargielaLocated in London, GB▪ Martin Margiela pink oversized shirt ▪ 100% Cotton ▪ Oversized fit ▪ Deconstructed design with sewn folds ▪ Embroidered four-leaf clover ▪ Size Medium ▪ Spring-Summer 2001Category
Early 2000s Italian Blouses
- Gianni Versace black Oroton chainmail evening blouse, fw 1983By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBGianni Versace black Oroton chainmail evening blouse with scoop neckline and jewelled front snap-button fastenings. Fall-Winter 1983Category
1980s Italian Blouses
- John Galliano gathered grey blouse, fw 1987By John GallianoLocated in London, GBJohn Galliano very early gathered grey blouse Fall-winter 1987 Measurements: Shoulder to shoulder 18" Waist 34" Bust 48" Length 39" Sleeve 27"Category
1980s British Blouses
- Gianni Versace multicoloured oroton metal chainmail evening tunic, fw 1984By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace multicoloured Oroton chainmail evening tunic ▪ 100% Aluminium, 100% Silk ▪ Wide sleeves ▪ Silk trim ▪ Size Small - Medium ▪ Fall-Winter 1984Category
1980s Italian Blouses
- Dior by John Galliano Denim printed BikiniBy John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in Bressanone, ITDior denim print bikini color blue. Top size 85C, bottom size 38 FR. Condition: Really good.Category
Early 2000s Bikinis
- 1950s Vintage Swimsuit - Graffiti Print - Overskirt Detail + Padded Breast CupsLocated in KENT, GBProduct Details: 'Graffiti' Print Swimsuit inc Overskirt Detail & Padded Breast Cups Label: Unknown Era: 1950s Vintage Fabric Content: Printed Stretch Jersey Size: UK 10/12 Bust: ...Category
1950s American Swimwear
- 1930S JANTZEN Cobalt Blue Wool Knit One Piece SwimsuitBy JantzenLocated in New York, NYvery stretchy, waist goes up to 30 in. 1930S JANTZEN Cobalt Blue Wool Knit One Piece SwimsuitCategory
1930s Swimwear
- Emilio Pucci Blue Printed Bikini SwimsuitBy Emilio PucciLocated in Scottsdale, AZSummer Sexy... Circa 2000s, this Emilio Pucci bikini features one of Pucci's signature abstract prints in shades of blue, purple and green. Padded top with...Category
Early 2000s Italian Swimwear
- Vivienne Westwood Blue Securite Time for Change Unisex Terry Cloth Crochet DressBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in Portland, ORThis blue Vivienne Westwood dress is in a blue terry cloth fabric with blue crochet knit trim. The fabric has a brushed or velveteen feel and the dress ...Category
2010s British Casual Dresses
- $175 Sale Price22% Off
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.