Fashion designer of the late 1940s and 1950s, Christian Dior, greatly influenced fashion after World War II with the introduction of the first hourglass silhouette in his “New Look.” Equally as significant but less known was the new business model for the post-war fashion industry that Dior established and practiced. Dior's reputation as one of the most noteworthy fashion designers of the twentieth century began in 1947 when his “New Look,” characterized by rounded shoulders, a small waist, and a full skirt hit the market and boomed from then on out. Dior’s designs purely commemorated femininity and luxury in women's apparel.
Dior was born in Normandy, France, and moved to Paris with his parents as a ten-year-old. There he studied political science and later served in the military. Dior’s parents hoped he would complete a degree in politics, which would prepare him for a diplomatic career. In 1928, his father gave him enough money to open an art gallery, as long as the family name did not appear above the door.
After returning to Paris in 1935, Dior began selling his sketches, marking the beginning of his career as a designer. Dior was exposed to great design talent through working with designers like Robert Piguet and Lucien Lelong in the late 1930s. With the help of textile manufacturer and entrepreneur Marcel Boussac, Dior opened his own design house in 1946 with a record-breaking budget of FFr60 million. Soon after, the house of Dior and its eighty-five employees moved into a mansion, which was extensively decorated in Dior’s favorite colors, white and gray.
The first Christian Dior couture show took place on February 12, 1947. The pubic’s reaction to Dior’s designs was easily described as enthusiastic and impressed. “It’s quite a revelation dear Christian,” declared editor of the United States’ Harper’s Bazaar, Carmel Snow. “Your dresses have such a new look.”
The New Look was just what the fashion world was missing in the post-war era. Dior was accurate in presuming that women would desire something brand new after a time of war, violence and hardship. Dior’s traditional concept of femininity fit the political agenda as well. Women were forced to leave their farm and factory jobs and return to passive roles as housewives and mothers as the soldiers returned home from the war. The role of post-war women was to be an able, loving housewife who maintained a happy home for her family, and Dior’s lines catered to these women perfectly.
In Spring 1947, Dior produced "figure 8," which accented the New Look’s silhouette with prominent shoulders, emphasized hips, and a pinched waist. His spring 1953 collection, "Tulip," included many feminine, soft prints. Dior’s Spring 1955 "A-line" featured a much smoother silhouette that broadened at the hips and legs, similar to the capital letter "A."
While Dior’s aesthetic gained huge popularity among the public, many looked up to him as an innovator of French culture.” [Dior] was so famous in France at the time. It seemed as if he wasn’t a man, but an institution,” said French fashion designer Christian Lacroix. Dior’s name was known across the globe and his label accounted for half of France’s haute couture exports.
Dior and partner Jacques Rouet also established license agreements in the fashion industry. By 1948, Dior had set up profitable licensing deals for fur, stockings, and perfumes, producing great revenue and establishing himself as a household name.
As Dior’s career flourished, the prosperous designer bought an old mill outside of Paris and a flower farm in the heart of Provence, where he wandered with his dog, Bobby, gardened, and collected art and antiques. Dior had always been bashful, so he left the social aspect of his career to his lively sales director, Suzanne Luling. Growing more and more superstitious with age, Dior’s quirks were apparent in his career. Every collection Dior designed had to include a coat called the “Granville”, named after his birthplace. In runway shows, at least one model wore a small bunch of lilies of the valley, Dior’s favorite flower. Dior never started a couture show without first consulting his tarot card reader.
The fashion world was sadly left without a king of style on October 24, 1957 when Dior passed away from heart failure at the age of 52. Although Dior designed under his own name for only one decade, his influence will be forever remembered. Dior’s faultlessly classic fashion innovations will remain ever-present in styles for years to come.
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