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  • Dior, Christian

Dior, Christian

Jul 12, 2010 | by admin | Label Resource | Articles, Labels

Christian Dior (1905 – 1958) was one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. He was artistic and took to fashion sketching at a young age but it wasn’t until 1946 that he achieved his renown.

In the 1930s, with the Great Depression and family deaths, Dior’s path veered, but from 1937 he designed alongside Pierre Balmain at Robert Piguet. After WWII service in the French army, Dior worked again with Balmain, this time for the house of Lucien Lelong. While there he attracted the attention of textile maker Marcel Boussac, who became Dior’s financial backer. In 1946, he founded his own fashion house, and in 1947 he made a huge impact with his Corolle collection—the “New Look”, as Carmel Snow dubbed it. Quickly the restrictions of wartime seemed outmoded by voluptuous and voluminous silhouettes. Fitted, padded, corseted and lofty forms that accentuated the woman’s figure took hold and had a profound influence on fashion. In 1948, his pioneering licensing of furs, perfumes, and stockings further helped make Dior a household name.

Dior continued to be a major force in the fashion world in the 1950s, with a new silhouette each season, including the Princess line of 1951, the “H” line of 1954, and the “A” and “Y” lines of 1955. The extensive Dior exhibition at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs from 2017 to 2018, and the following year at the V&A in London, gave a new generation a first hand look at the virtuosity of Dior.

Yves Saint Laurent became Dior’s assistant in 1955, and succeeded him at his death in 1957. The head designers at Dior have been:

1947 -1958 – Christian Dior
1958 -1960 – Yves Saint Laurent
1960 -1989 – Marc Bohan
1989 -1996 – Gianfranco Ferré
1996 -2011 – John Galliano
2011 -2012 – Bill Gaytten
2012 -2016 – Raf Simons
2016 – Maria Grazia Chiuri
The New York, London, and Boutique labels are ready-to-wear labels. Until the early 1960s these labels were designed in Paris, first by Christian Dior and, after his death, by Saint Laurent and Bohen. After about 1961 these lines were designed in New York and London by designers hired specifically to do just those lines.

“I created flower women with gentle shoulders and generous bosoms, with tiny waists like stems and skirts belling out like petals.” Christian Dior

Notes: Dior couture labels are often dated with the season and the year, and the label is stamped with an identification number. Note, however, that some boutique labels are also stamped with a number, as this alone does not denote that a garment is couture.

Written by fuzzylizzie with updates by denisebrain

See also: Miss Dior

See vintage Dior from VFG members on Etsy (paid link)


from a 1949 silk gown  - Courtesy of marzillivintage
from a 1949 silk gown
Courtesy of marzillivintage
from a late 1940s/early 1950s dress & jacket - Courtesy of artisannes
from a late 1940s/early 1950s dress & jacket
Courtesy of artisannes
from a 1953 couture dress - Courtesy of artisannes
from a 1953 couture dress
Courtesy of artisannes
from a 1950s Boutique dress - Courtesy of shopping-goddess
from a 1950s Boutique dress
Courtesy of shopping-goddess
from a 1950s dress - Courtesy of coutureallure.com
from a 1950s dress
Courtesy of coutureallure.com
from a 1950s skirt - Courtesy of vintagevoyager
from a 1950s skirt
Courtesy of vintagevoyager
from a 1950s jacket  - Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from a 1950s jacket
Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from a 1950s sweater - Courtesy of catseyevintage
from a 1950s sweater
Courtesy of catseyevintage
from a 1956 wool cocoon cape coat - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1956 wool cocoon cape coat
Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1956 wool jacket - Courtesy of Ryerson University Fashion Research Collection
from a 1956 wool jacket
Courtesy of Ryerson University Fashion Research Collection
from late 1950s court shoes  - Courtesy of stellarosevintage
from late 1950s court shoes
Courtesy of stellarosevintage
from a late-1950s evening dress - Courtesy of kittenteeth vintage
from a late-1950s evening dress
Courtesy of kittenteeth vintage
from a late-1950s/early-1960s dress  - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a late-1950s/early-1960s dress
Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a pair of 1958 shoes - Courtesy of midge
from a pair of 1958 shoes
Courtesy of midge
from a 1961 couture dress - Courtesy of artisannes
from a 1961 couture dress
Courtesy of artisannes
from a 1960s coat - Courtesy of Willow Hilson
from a 1960s coat
Courtesy of Willow Hilson
 from a pair of 1960s below elbow leather gloves - Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a pair of 1960s below elbow leather gloves
Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1960s hat - Courtesy of vintageclothesline.com
from a 1960s hat
Courtesy of vintageclothesline.com
from a 1960s tie - Courtesy of morning-glorious
from a 1960s tie
Courtesy of morning-glorious
from a 1960s turban - Courtesy of dorotheascloset
from a 1960s turban
Courtesy of dorotheascloset
from a mid 1960s dress  - Courtesy of artisannes
from a mid 1960s dress
Courtesy of artisannes
from a 1960s faux fur  - Courtesy of PoppysVintageClothing
from a 1960s faux fur
Courtesy of PoppysVintageClothing
from a 1960s shirt  - Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1960s shirt
Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1960s couture coatdress - Courtesy of Claire Shaeffer
from a 1960s couture coatdress
Courtesy of Claire Shaeffer
from a 1960s jacket  - Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from a 1960s jacket
Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from a 1965 couture dress - Courtesy of artisannes
from a 1965 couture dress
Courtesy of artisannes
from a 1966 suit - Courtesy of PoppysVintageClothing
from a 1966 suit
Courtesy of PoppysVintageClothing
from a late 1960s hat - Courtesy of vintageclothesline.com
from a late 1960s hat
Courtesy of vintageclothesline.com
from a 1960s hat - Courtesy of thevintagebungalow
from a 1960s hat
Courtesy of thevintagebungalow
from a 1970s robe - Courtesy of bigchief173
from a 1970s robe
Courtesy of bigchief173
from a 1970s skirt  - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1970s skirt
Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1970s skirt - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1970s skirt
Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1970s trench coat - Courtesy of crazybubba
from a 1970s trench coat
Courtesy of crazybubba
from a 1970s mens blazer  - Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1970s mens blazer
Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1970s maxi skirt - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1970s maxi skirt
Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1970s velvet hat  - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1970s velvet hat
Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing
from a 1970s silk mens sweater  - Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1970s silk mens sweater
Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from an A/W 1971 couture evening gown - Courtesy of Augusta Auctions
from an A/W 1971 couture evening gown
Courtesy of Augusta Auctions
from a 1970s nightgown - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage
from a 1970s nightgown
Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage
from a 1970s blouse - Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from a 1970s blouse
Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from a late-1970s early-1980s dress - Courtesy of Noble Vintage Clothiers
from a late-1970s early-1980s dress
Courtesy of Noble Vintage Clothiers
from a 1980s slip hang tag   - Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1980s slip hang tag
Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1980s slip -  Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1980s slip
Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a 1980s halter  - Courtesy of caligold
from a 1980s halter
Courtesy of caligold
from a 1980s skirt suit - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage
from a 1980s skirt suit
Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage
from a 1980s suit - Courtesy of coutureallure.com
from a 1980s suit
Courtesy of coutureallure.com
from a 1980s robe  - Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from a 1980s robe
Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from a 1980s dressing gown - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage
from a 1980s dressing gown
Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage
from a mid-1980s suit  - Courtesy of Sarah ETD
from a mid-1980s suit
Courtesy of Sarah ETD
from a late 1980s dress - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com
from a late 1980s dress
Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com
from a 1987 white fox coat  - Courtesy jazzbug
from a 1987 white fox coat
Courtesy jazzbug
from a 1988/89 dress  - Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from a 1988/89 dress
Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from an early 1990s shirt - Courtesy of  themerchantsofvintage
from an early 1990s shirt
Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from an early 1990s skirt suit  - Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from an early 1990s skirt suit
Courtesy of claireshaeffer
from an early 1990s blazer - Courtesy of urbanfreak_vintage
from an early 1990s blazer
Courtesy of urbanfreak_vintage
from a mid 1990s evening top  - Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a mid 1990s evening top
Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a mid 1990s dress - Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
from a mid 1990s dress
Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage
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