A short history on the founder of the world famous brand that has upheld the elegance and uniqueness he originally created it with.
Christian Dior with model Dorothy Emms, 1952.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Dior was born on January 21, 1905 to a wealthy family in Granville. He had a privileged and comfortable childhood, his father was a successful fertilizer manufacturer, and his mother was a passionate art collector and a stylish dresser. He sold fashion sketches outside his house as a child and attended the École des Sciences Politiques, a prestigious school in Paris. He went on to study political science and law but later pursued a career in art and design, and established his own fashion house in 1946.
Starting his career in art he opened a gallery in 1928 selling art of friends like Picasso. He worked for numerous other designers before opening his own fashion house including as an assistant to Robert Piguet from 1937-1940. From 1941 to 1946, he served in the French military before returning to fashion in 1947.
Dior's main rival in the fashion industry was the house of Chanel. Coco Chanel was a major innovator in the world of fashion and a key figure in the development of modern fashion. The two houses had a fierce rivalry and competed for customers, fashion shows, and recognition. The "New Look" (which emphasized exaggerated curves and a nipped waistline) that Christian Dior was so famous for served as a huge inspiration to Chanel making her comeback after WWII, when she cemented quite an opposite silhouette, her tweed suit into the fashion history books.
Dior "New Look" 1947 (Bar suit) PATRICK DEMARCHELIER
The "New Look" had obvious references to the Edwardian Era but showcased a new perspective by reflecting options which conserved fabric as an effect of WWII rationing. He was a master of creating shapes and silhouettes or as he liked to say "creating a flower for women". One of my all time favourite designs Monsieur Dior created was actually his petal or "Junon" dress, which has been recreated time and time again both on the Dior runway and many others. Most recently Kim Jones paid homage to Dior's body of work and created an interpretation of the petal design for the Men's Fall 2022 collection.
The original Junon Dress 1949
Looks from Dior Menswear Fall 2022 Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com
Dior was even established as a costume designer for major motion pictures and actresses like Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner and Ingrid Bergman. In fact, Marlene Dietrich would only wear Dior and she demanded her dresses were Dior for many films. He also dressed royalty like Princess Margaret for her 21st birthday.
Marlene Dietrich in Stage Fright (1950) Getty Images
Ava Gardner in The Little Hut (1957) MGM/Kobal/Shuttershock
Princess Margaret on her 21st birthday in Dior Cecil Beaton/Victoria and Albert Museum
After founding the House of Dior in 1946 Dior quickly became one of the most well-known designers of his time. Ushering in groundbreaking silhouettes and concepts through his lines. Dior designed 22 collections for his brand from 1946-1957 when he unexpectedly passed away. Gems of Jade will be taking an in depth look at each of these collections and how the legacy of the brand has continued to grow over the years.
