Christian Dior
Christian Dior was a pivotal figure in the fashion industry, born on January 21, 1905, in Granville, France. After pursuing studies in political science, Dior transitioned from the art world to fashion, eventually establishing his own house, Maison Dior, in 1946 with the backing of entrepreneur Marcel Boussac. He gained fame with his 1947 collection introducing the "New Look," which celebrated a curvaceous feminine silhouette, and was notable for its use of luxurious fabrics at a time when materials were still being rationed post-World War II. Throughout his career, Dior expanded his brand to include perfumes, accessories, and a licensing scheme that ultimately influenced the entire fashion industry. He dressed numerous Hollywood stars and was recognized for revitalizing fashion in the post-war era. Dior's impact persisted beyond his death in 1957, with his brand continuing to thrive under the direction of various designers, including the first female artistic director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, in 2016. Today, the Christian Dior brand remains synonymous with luxury and elegance, boasting significant financial success.
Christian Dior
Fashion designer
- Born: January 21, 1905
- Place of Birth: Granville, France
- Died: c. October 23, 1957
- Place of Death: Montecatini, Italy
- Education: École des Sciences Politiques
- Significance: In the decade that passed between the debut of his first collection in 1947 and his death in 1957, designer Christian Dior revolutionized the fashion industry. In addition to developing a couture label known for quality craftsmanship and timeless elegance, Dior contributed to the company's long-term success by introducing a profitable licensing scheme that has been imitated by other fashion houses.
Background
Christian Dior was born on January 21, 1905, in Granville, France. He was one of five children born to Alexandre Louis Maurice and Madeleine Martin Dior. Dior's father operated a successful fertilizer company, and the Dior family enjoyed a comfortable life. In 1911, the family moved from Granville to Paris.
After Dior graduated from high school, he attended École des Sciences Politiques, where he studied political science from 1920 to 1925. Dior's father hoped that his son would one day become a diplomat, but Dior had a creative streak and found himself drawn to the art world. From 1927 to 1928, Dior served in the French army. In 1928, he opened—with substantial financial assistance from his father—an art gallery. Among the artists who displayed work in the gallery were Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí and Spanish cubist Pablo Picasso. The gallery remained in operation until 1931. That year, Dior's family fell on hard times. His mother passed away, his father's business collapsed, and Dior was forced to close his gallery. He contracted tuberculosis in 1934, and his recovery took nearly a year.
Life's Work
Throughout the 1930s, Dior began submitting sketches to magazines and fashion houses. Designer Robert Piguet took note of Dior's work and selected four of Dior's sketches for his fashion house in 1937. The following year, Piguet hired Dior to work at his fashion house full time. Piguet trained Dior until Dior was drafted into military service for World War II in 1939. Upon his return to Paris in 1941, Dior began working as a design assistant to fashion house owner Lucien Lelong. During that time, Dior collaborated with designer Pierre Balmain and had the opportunity to create fashions for some of the wealthiest women in the world. He also developed costumes for films. Dior continued to work for Lelong until 1946.
In 1946, with financial backing from French entrepreneur Marcel Boussac, Dior established Maison Dior (House of Dior), his own fashion house, in a mansion in Paris. Dior's new business had a total of eighty-five employees, including four models and sixty seamstresses. The business operated two workshops for dresses, one workshop for suits, and a retail shop that sold accessories.
Dior debuted his first collection in 1947, and it was widely regarded as a success. Dubbed the "New Look," Dior's collection emphasized the feminine figure, fitting snugly around the bust, cinching in at the waist, and rounding out the hips. Skirts and dresses were calf-length and flowing, with some using a full 20 yards (18 meters) of fabric. During World War II, many textiles had been rationed for the war effort, so many found it surprising that Dior used such a generous amount of fabric for his designs. Many of the pieces in his collection featured intricate details such as faux pockets or belts, buttons, cuffs, and collars. Accessories such as hats, gloves, and shoes completed each look from head to toe.
Dior continued to develop couture collections in the following years but also began to expand his enterprise. In 1948, he introduced the Christian Dior brand's first perfume, Miss Dior, which was a tribute to his sister. That same year, he opened a Christian Dior boutique in New York City. Later he opened additional boutiques in London, Mexico, Canada, and Italy. In the short span of his career as a designer, Dior had the chance to dress Hollywood icons such as Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner, and Rita Hayworth.
In 1950, Dior introduced a licensing scheme for his brand, which put his name on everything from cosmetics, stockings, and gloves to tableware, jewelry, and handbags. At first, the licensing scheme appalled many of Dior's contemporaries. They believed that it would weaken not only the Dior brand but the entire high-fashion industry. Ultimately, however, the licensing proved pivotal to the brand's long-term success, and many fashion houses ended up developing similar schemes of their own.
At the relatively young age of fifty-two, Dior died of a heart attack on October 23, 1957 (some sources say October 24) while on vacation in Montecatini Terme, Italy. Following his death, his young design assistant Yves Saint Laurent, who later went on to develop his own fashion empire, briefly took over as artistic director of Dior's fashion house. In 1960, Marc Bohan replaced Saint Laurent and remained in the position until 1989. Several other famous designers have driven the creative aspects of the Dior brand since then. In 2016, Italian fashion designer Maria Grazia Chiuri became the first woman to serve as the artistic director of the company.
Impact
Dior has been credited with reinvigorating the fashion industry in the post–World War II era. Under his direction, the Christian Dior brand became one of the most recognizable luxury brands in the world. Since his death, Christian Dior couture has continued to be renowned for its stellar quality and classic elegance, and is worn by Hollywood royalty and actual royalty alike. Christian Dior boasted sales of €86.2 billion in 2023, according to Forbes.
Personal Life
In 1947, Dior received the Neiman Marcus Award for his very first collection. He received the Parsons School of Design Distinguished Achievement Award in 1956. That same year, Dior published an autobiography of his life titled Christian Dior et moi. The book was translated to English in 1957 and published as Dior by Dior. On March 4, 1957, Dior became the first fashion designer to be featured on the cover of Time.
Bibliography
Almond, Kevin, and Sydonie Benet. "Dior, Christian." Contemporary Fashion, edited by Taryn Benbow-Pfalzgraf, 2nd ed., St. James Press, 2002, pp. 178–81.
"Christian Dior." Biography.com, 27 Apr. 2017, www.biography.com/people/christian-dior-9275315. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
"Christian Dior." Encyclopedia of Global Brands. 2nd ed., vol. 1, St. James Press, 2013, pp. 203–6.
"Christian Dior on the Forbes Global 2000 List." Forbes, May 2017, www.forbes.com/companies/christian-dior/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Fraser, Antonia, translator. Dior by Dior: The Autobiography of Christian Dior. 1957. By Christian Dior. V&A Publishing, 2007.
McDowell, Colin. "Christian Dior (1905–1957)." Business of Fashion, 23 Nov. 2015, www.businessoffashion.com/articles/education/christian-dior-1905-1957. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Pujalet-Plaà, Eric. "Dior, Christian." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, edited by Valerie Steele, vol. 1, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005, pp. 364–68.
Sowray, Bibby. "Christian Dior." Vogue, 5 Apr. 2012, www.vogue.co.uk/article/christian-dior. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.