Designer 101
Christian Dior was born in Granville, France in 1905 and grew up in Paris. In 1938 he began assisting in design at Robert Piguet and then went on to work for Lucien Lelong.
Once he had gained experience working in couture, Dior was ready to launch his own brand. The first show was in 1947 and displayed his so-called “New Look”.
Dior wanted to reclaim the traditionally-flattering female form, cinching the waist and lengthening hemlines to emphasize hourglass figures – but with a modern approach. Dior’s look defined the 1950s for women worldwide.
For the next decade, Dior saw his brand emerge as a breakthrough in fashion. Dior passed away in 1957, leaving his legacy to Yves Saint Laurent, his assistant and 21-year-old protégé. Following Laurent, Dior appointed many great designers.
Christian Dior believed that the purse was the key transition point that could move the same suit from breakfast to dinner. A switch of a handbag was a transformation, as long as it was made with the utmost quality.
Gianfranco Ferré introduced the iconic ChouChou bag silhouette in 1994. The bag was gifted to Princess Diana in 1995 and earned her name in response for her adoration, becoming the “Lady Dior."
Though Dior has seen a clear majority of male leaders, with the exception of its current creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, the brand’s identity has always been situated in celebrating and highlighting the female form with the finest fits and materials.
Each decade has effectively been marked by an iconic Dior aesthetic which highlighted the socio-political environment in which it existed.