History of Dior and Background. August 28, 2020 by Fashion Editor. Most people have heard of Christian Dior fashion. It’s had a powerful effect on luxury goods for decades. The company itself was founded by Christian Dior. He was originally from Granville in France, and was born in 1905. The Dior family soon relocated, and settled in Paris. Apple TV+ unveils first look images for Todd A. Kessler's historical drama The New Look, centered on Christian Dior's rise to fame and featuring fashion icons Coco Chanel and Pierre Balmain. The The house’s latest variation on the originally wasp-waisted style, which revolutionized postwar fashion, relies on a centuries-old Greek embroidery technique. Dior’s new jacket, made in November 15, 2023 @ 7:00 AM. Ben Mendelsohn is finding his new look as Christian Dior in Apple TV+’s new fashion drama “The New Look,” premiering in February. Set against the World War II Lead vocalist of K-pop’s hottest girl group Blackpink, Jisoo stands out not only for her husky vocals, but for her savoir faire and her elegant off-duty style. On March 6th 2021, the 26-year-old artist was named global ambassador for fashion and beauty by none other than Christian Dior. Jisoo, according to a statement from Dior, “perfectly Apple TV Plus has landed “The New Look,” Todd A. Kessler ‘s (”Bloodline”) period drama series about the meteoric rise of French fashion designer Christian Dior, starring Ben Mendelsohn This is where the New Look, which referred to the romantic, hyper-feminine fin de siècle silhouettes Christian Dior remembered his mother wearing, was born. This structured, fabric-heavy His new silhouette, the “Slim Look”, a modern take on Dior’s iconic “New Look”, proved to be a success. Bohan also established the Christian Dior Monsieur line in 1970. However the line wasn’t quite a success and—until the 21st century—Dior’s most popular men’s items were fragrances. In 2000, Dior welcomed a new men’s - 999 Velvet: a timeless and luxurious crimson red derives its triple 9 from the first two lipsticks launched by Christian Dior, the 9 and 99. It is now available in the 4 Rouge Dior finishes. - 100 Nude Look: a reinterpretation of the greige New Look of 1947, a color created by Christian Dior as the perfect blend of gray and beige. July 5, 2021. The Dior Autumn-Winter 2021-2022 Haute Couture Show. View Slideshow. Against the backdrop of a vast panoramic hand-embroidered landscape, Maria Grazia Chuiri’s Christian Dior haute gHemIK. FULL ARTICLE By Annelise Moses, Second Year History Annelise Moses discusses the groundbreaking impact of Christian Dior's 'New Look' collection, and how it paved a change for feminism in fashion In light of the new 'Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ exhibition that opened at the beginning of February this year at London’s V&A Museum, it would be interesting to cast our minds back to the iconic, French designer’s most ground-breaking collection. On 12th February 1947, not even two years after World War 2 had ended, Christian Dior unveiled his Corolle collection - later dubbed the “New Look” following then editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, Carmel Snow’s, exclamatory remarks upon the reveal. The “New Look” can be seen as both a reaction to the austerity of the war years, but also as ushering in a decade of fetishised femininity. During the war, fashion trends were about practicality; dresses got shorter due to fabric rationing, the bikini made its debut and clothes adopted a more masculine edge. The Corolle collection was everything that these austere fashion trends were not; using excessive and luxurious fabrics, the Bar suit - the main feature of the new collection - sought to emphasise the unique aspects of the female body. The “New Look” is well known for its cinched-in waists, ankle-length skirts and rounded-shoulders that “accentuated the waist, the volume of the hips, I emphasised the bust”, in the words of Christian Dior himself. In the fashion world, and indeed much of the wider Western world, this celebration of the female body was well-received. The 1950s were an era in which women returned to their traditional role as homemaker and housekeeper, and the post-war economic recovery facilitated an increasingly affluent and consumerist society. Dior’s “New Look” exemplified this very moment in history. However, as progressive forces increasingly gained a voice in Western societies, arguing against the conformity and consensus of their predecessors to unjust state institutions, Dior’s “New Look” suffered criticism. The late 1950s and 1960s saw the birth of second-wave feminism, said to have been prompted by the publication of Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex in 1949. Second-wave feminism drew attention to the societal beliefs of the woman that restricted her role to certain places and spaces, largely the home and the family, and by consequence resulted in several legal and de facto inequalities between man and woman. The “New Look” received critique from the emerging movement for women’s liberation in the United States, with women picketing fashion shows with placards brandishing the slogan “Burn Mr Dior”; for such women, the tight waists and emphasised busts of the “New Look” were a demonstration of the objectification of women that they deplored. Whatever the controversy, the Dior “New Look” has had a long-standing impact on the fashion trends we witness today. The key features of the Corolle collection have been reinvented, reimagined and modernised, and can be seen in the fashion trends of many societies. Even as of the recent SS19 fashion weeks, the knife-tight pleats that were a prominent feature of the Bar suit’s ankle-length skirts can be witnessed on the catwalks of Roland Mouret and Givenchy. Other key items in the collection have remained pervasive in the world of fashion; this season has seen wide belts and suits gaining popular appeal, simulating the tight waists of the “New Look”. So perhaps in a time where feminism is in its third phase, the celebration of the female body by the “New Look” has regained its popular appeal that it first received in the 1950s. This exhibition has been curated at the V&A by Oriole Cullen, after being transferred from Paris’s Musee des Arts Decoratifs. It is a must see for all interested in fashion, history or those merely looking for an aesthetically-pleasing day out in London. The exhibition is running from February 2nd to July 14th. Featured Image: Flaunter Com / Unsplash 'Have an opinion on how gender is navigated in the world of fashion? Let us know' Facebook // Epigram // Twitter AUTHOR RELATED POSTS PREVIOUS Russian Doll is a stark reminder for us to confront our emotional demons and talk about how we feel NEXT Beautiful Boy is the greatest all-round Oscar snub this year, with Chalamet, Carell and the script especially deserving of recognition For the 1st time, houndstooth inscribes its eternal elegance onto the fragrances of the La Collection Privée Christian Dior, as well as an exclusive makeup line created by Peter by Christian Dior's dazzling and daring début runway show called "New Look" that shook up the world of fashion, today the iconic Rouge Dior and the Iconic 5 Couleurs Couture Eye Palette, along with a selection of La Collection Privée Christian Dior fragrances, are graced with the emblematic Dior couture HOUNDSTOOTH MOTIFThe revered houndstooth motif is a genuine sign of recognition at Dior. A timeless code of style, it has been embraced by the House from the beginning, a mark of Christian Dior's affinity for all things English. Enthroned, idolized, houndstooth stands now more than ever as an inspiring symbol of Dior. LA COLLECTION PRIVÉE IN HAUTE COUTUREInvited to adorn the bottles and cases of La Collection Privée Christian Dior, the revered Dior houndstooth motif transforms the fragrances into genuine couture EXCLUSIVE DISCOVERY OF THE LEADING FRAGRANCESHOW TO* Instrumental test on 10 subjects. “As long as Hitler controls Paris,” declared one American journalist, “Paris will never control fashion.” Taking these words to heart, Christian Dior, then in his 30s, set about waging a war of his own, and as the tanks and fighter jets of the 1940s loomed around him, the designer formed his own résistance against aesthetic Dior’s tailoring showed off the female figure. Photo: Alamy, courtesy of Christian Dior MuseumTwo years after the Germans surrendered the French capital, he launched what would become one of the most successful couture fashion brands in the was born in 1905 in the sleepy yet chic seaside town of Granville, Normandy. By the age of five, his affluent family had moved to Paris, hoping he would grow up to become a diplomat. Yet years later, after reluctantly studying for a degree in political science, the stifled creative ‘Dior, Designer of Dreams’ exhibition at the V&A Museum. Photo: Adrien DirandDior’s parents were incandescent with shame when he opened his own art gallery – the first step on a multi-million franc career ladder – believing that it would permanently tarnish the family name. Unapologetic homophobes, the Diors were embarrassed by his association with “effeminate” pursuits – indeed, they had banned him from studying architecture at university for this very reason. The fact that soon-to-be world-renowned artists such as Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró were exhibiting at the gallery, or that Pablo Picasso’s studio was right next door, meant little to his horrified parents. To them, his choice of career represented a world of casual hedonism and illicit homosexuality. Curiously, for a family that had made its name in the less-than-glamorous fertiliser industry, they seemed to believe it was art that would blight their reputation. They agreed to finance their errant son on the strict condition that the Dior name be kept Dior with model Sylvie, circa 1948. Courtesy of Christian Dior MuseumBut young Christian would have far more to contend with and overcome than his controlling parents’ purse-strings; namely the choke-hold of the Great Depression and the Second World War. He was forced to sacrifice his gallery and the short stint of employment that followed with fashion designer Robert Piguet was cut short when he was called upon to serve in the CONTROVERSYThe war over, in 1947 the world started to sit up and take notice of Dior’s debut solo launch – the now-legendary New Look. The collection was all about creating a curvaceous silhouette – prominent shoulder pads, moulded busts and voluminous, bouffant skirts, all anchored by a shapely cinched waist. Formerly elegant French women, emaciated in the aftermath of the war and still feeling the after-effects of food rationing, were desperate to regain their curves. It seemed the exaggerated femininity of Dior’s collection had come along at just the right time – although not everyone ‘Dior, Designer of Dreams’ exhibition at the V&A Museum, the Garden Section. Photo: Adrien DirandSome were enraged by the sheer amount of fabric used in his circle skirts – considered a shameful waste by those who’d previously scrimped and saved during wartime austerity. Others simply found the designs horrifyingly impractical. From lung-squeezing corsets to skirts so weighty that the women who sported them could barely fit through doorways, they were regarded by many as the “absolute antithesis of feminism”.And why, a quizzical Coco Chanel asked, would anyone take style advice from a man “who doesn’t know women [but merely] dreams of being one”?The ‘Dior, Designer of Dreams’ exhibition at the V&A Museum, Designers for Dior section. Photo: Adrien DirandBut while fellow designers simply sneered or raised their perfectly arched eyebrows in amusement, the public’s reaction was much more dramatic – and chaos quickly descended, both on and off the catwalk. In Montmartre, just a few days after the collection’s launch, sales assistants physically assaulted the models, attempting to tear their designer dresses from their bodies and rip them to around the world stormed fashion shows brandishing placards that read, “Burn Dior!” and, “Mr Dior, we abhor dresses to the floor!”. It seemed even his own industry had turned against him. Elle published a feature highlighting the cost of Dior’s dresses and pointing out what could be bought for the same price – such as 789,000kg of meat. Other magazines commented that post-war women would rather eat than buy frivolous fashion. Regardless, Dior’s supporters were just as passionate as his detractors. They considered his designs a celebration of ‘Dior, Designer of Dreams’ exhibition at the V&A Museum. Photo: Adrien DirandROYAL APPROVALFor Dior’s fans, the New Look represented a return to extravagance and luxury in an era of ration cards and meagre clothing coupons. In wartime, many women had been driving tractors and working the fields as land girls, or running busy households alone with a toddler under each arm, so the chance to dress glamorously was rare, if not non-existent. Dior’s clothing was far from just a style – it formed part of a political were the days of austerity and self-denial and no longer would women be afraid to reach into their hand-me-down purses. Now the only thing that was restrictive was the waistline – and that was exactly how Dior and his customers wanted Margaret in the Dior gown she wore on her 21st birthday. Photo: Popperfoto/ Getty ImagesIn the midst of all the controversy, Dior won the support of Princess Margaret, who wore one of his designs for her 21st birthday party. She was photographed in the extraordinarily bouffant gown, earning him abundant positive publicity. While the likes of Marie Antoinette before her supposedly declared “Let them eat cake!”, Margaret was now flaunting the designer’s reckless use of fabric with the implicit cry of “Let them wear couture!”. That year, no fashion photo could match it in the controversy Dior continued to create designs that emphasised the differences in body shape between women and men. Hips were padded in the same way that a modern-day brand might pad a bra. The exaggerated hip-waist ratio that he forged helped sustain a feminine appearance, even for women wearing suits. Posters soon appeared emblazoned with witty repartee such as “Do my hips look big in this?” as a nod to the Dior Margaret presents Dior with a scroll entitling him to Honorary Life Membership of the British Red Cross. Photo: Popperfoto/ Getty ImagesMOVING WITH THE TIMESThe fashion house was soon bringing in millions of francs a year and its glamorous gowns were responsible for more than half the country’s haute-couture exports, as well as half of France’s total exports to the USA. It had also diversified, adding furs, perfumes and stockings to its latter were especially significant for post-war liberation. Those seeking the New Look had previously had to make do with staining their legs brown and painting a line down the back to mimic the effect of seamed stockings. Thanks to Dior, these painstaking efforts could be abandoned in favour of the real Dior’s house and museum in Granville, where he spent his early years. Photo: ShutterstockHowever, a decade after the launch of the New Look, tragedy struck – Dior died of a heart attack aged just 52. Rumours circulated that it had been prompted by choking on a fish bone, by strenuous sex or had happened after a game of cards. To this day, the truth is unknown. What is indisputable is that the fashion world went into mourning, with thousands attending his funeral. Among them was his friend Pierre Bergé, who said: “It was a national event. It was as if France had ceased to live.”With the death of Dior came the demise of the styles that had made him famous. Some had been practical enough for everyday living, such as the elegant Bar Suit, comprising a jacket with a contrasting corseted waist and peplum hem and a sensible yet chic long A-line ‘Dior, Designer of Dreams’ exhibition at the V&A Museum, Dior in Britain section. Photo: Adrien DirandHowever, the more extreme designs had been downright passion killers. The most extravagant included boned evening dresses that apparently “flared out as much as two feet in all directions”, forcing party-going couples to dance at arms’ length. It was difficult to sit down and impossible to order a drink from a crowded bemused buyer joked that while these outfits were well-suited to royalty or silver-screen stars on photoshoots, they were “totally useless for any woman who wants to do anything!”.Clearly, the brand had to modernise. Women no longer needed lavish clothes that they struggled to move in as a means of bragging about their post-austerity wealth and freedom. Now they wanted liberation of a different kind – and demanded that it come in the shape of the lightweight, less restrictive ‘Dior, Designer of Dreams’ exhibition at the V&A Museum, Atelier section. Photo: Adrien DirandBy the 1960s, the protesters were back on the streets but this time it wasn’t because the Maison Dior was too extravagant – it was because the long skirts were too conservative. In the UK, for example, a group called the British Society for the Protection of Mini Skirts organised marches outside fashion shows – and the house of Dior duly granted their wishes for younger, edgier outfits. While the fashionistas of the 1940s believed that, paradoxically, their clothing had given them freedom by confining them, the women of the 1960s sought a rather more sexual to this day, Dior’s original message of female liberation is fiercely upheld, albeit in new ways: current creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri champions T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan “We should all be feminists”. So despite controversial beginnings, it seems certain that Christian Dior’s legacy will live forever. His parents would have been proud…From France Today magazine