Christian Dior Envelope Clutch
View Similar Items
Christian Dior Envelope Clutch
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: one size (US)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Austin, TX
- Reference Number:Seller: bg_3771stDibs: LU1612272653
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.
- 1991 F/W Todd Oldham tiger high waisted pantBy Todd OldhamLocated in Austin, TX1991 F/W Todd Oldham felt tiger print high waisted pants Condition: Very good Size : M 26" Waist, 39" Hips, 30" inseam Listing is for pants only.Category
1990s American Pants
- 1988 Stephen Sprouse Sequin GownBy Stephen SprouseLocated in Austin, TX1988 Stephen Sprouse sequin gown with off center racing back. Has stretch. Orange, pink and yellow color Condition: Excellent Size 6Category
1980s American Evening Gowns
$3,200 Sale Price52% Off - Moschino 1990s Crop top and Skirt SetBy Moschino Jeans, MoschinoLocated in Austin, TX1990s Moschino silk striped cropped tie top and wrap skirt. Condition: Excellent Size 42/ US 8 / M 30" waist, 33" bust, 34" hipsCategory
Early 1900s Italian Skirt Suits
- 1990s Sonia Rykiel Gold Wedge SandalsBy Sonia RykielLocated in Austin, TX1990s Sonia Rykiel Gold Wedge Sandals size 39 1/2 Condition; Good all over wearCategory
1990s French Shoes
- Guy Laroche Long Wool CoatBy Guy LarocheLocated in Austin, TXGorgeous Guy Laroche Brown Wool Coat. Two front pockets, buttons down front. Condition: Excellent. Size 42/ US 8 ( mannequin is size 6 ) We accept returns for refund, please see ou...Category
1990s French Coats and Outerwear
- S/S 1997 Dolce & Gabbana Sheer Peachy Nude Silk Slip Dress 40By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Austin, TXS/S 1997 Dolce & Gabbana Sheer Peachy Nude Silk Slip Dress 40 Condition: very good 100% silk Made in Italy Bust: 26"- 34", Waist: 25"- 34", Hips: 33"- 46", Length: 59" SIZE: 40Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Judith Leiber Pink Alligator Box Clutch With Crystal ClosureBy Judith LeiberLocated in Philadelphia, PAFABULOUS JUDITH LEIBER pink alligator box clutch in excellent condition. Pink alligator exterior trimmed with silver hardware and a stunning clear swar...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Clutches
- Bottega Veneta Brown Lizard Leather ClutchBy Bottega VenetaLocated in Philadelphia, PAGorgeous Bottega Veneta brown lizard leather clutch in excellent condition. Brown lizard leather exterior with front twist closure. Pleated expandable interior design features 2 sepa...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Clutches
- Judith Leiber Vintage Saks Tan Lizard ClutchBy Judith LeiberLocated in Philadelphia, PAJudith Leiber Vintage Saks Tan Lizard Clutch in very good condition. Tan pleated lizard leather exterior trimmed with engraved gold hardware along top edge...Category
1980s Clutches
- Judith Leiber Tan Alligator ClutchBy Judith LeiberLocated in Philadelphia, PAJudith Leiber Tan Alligator Clutch in good condition. Tan alligator exterior trimmed with gold hardware along top edge. Top center lift latch closure opens via 4 hinges to a tan lea...Category
1980s Clutches
- Judith Leiber Red Embossed Alligator ClutchBy Judith LeiberLocated in Philadelphia, PAJudith Leiber Red Embossed Alligator Clutch in very good vintage condition. Red embossed suede exterior with exotic alligator print trimmed with gold...Category
1980s Clutches
- Judith Leiber Cream Matte Lizard Clutch with Enamel Crystal TopBy Judith LeiberLocated in Philadelphia, PAJudith Leiber Cream Matte Lizard Clutch with Enamel Crystal Top in good condition. Cream lizard leather in unique matte style trimmed with silver hardware and black and cream enamel...Category
1980s Clutches
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.