Surely you’ll find the exact vintage or contemporary christian dior new look you’re seeking on 1stDibs — we’ve got a vast assortment for sale. If you’re looking for an option in Black and you’re unable to find the right fit, there are plenty of variations in Beige, Yellow and more. You’re likely to find the perfect christian dior new look among the distinctive accessories we have available, which includes versions made as long ago as the 20th Century as well as those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Making an accessory such as this has likely been a part of the legacy of many fashion designers, but those produced by Christian Dior and John Galliano for Christian Dior are consistently popular. Finding a christian dior new look for sale for women should be easy, but there are 2 pieces available to browse for men as average, a christian dior new look on 1stDibs sells for $2,200, while they’re typically $265 on the low end and $12,000 for the highest priced versions of this Christian Dior launched his couture house, in 1946, he wanted nothing less than to make “an elegant woman more beautiful and a beautiful woman more elegant.” He succeeded, and in doing so the visionary designer altered the landscape of 20th century fashion. Dior was born in Granville, on the Normandy coast, in 1905. His prosperous haute bourgeois parents wanted him to become a diplomat despite his interest in art and architecture. However, they agreed to bankroll an art gallery, which Dior opened in 1928 in Paris with a was the start of Dior’s rise in the city’s creative milieu, where he befriended Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. After seven years as an art dealer, Dior retrained as a fashion illustrator, eventually landing a job as a fashion designer for Robert Piguet, and in 1941, following a year of military service, he joined the house of Lucien Lelong. Just five years later, with the backing of industrialist Marcel Boussac, the ascendant Dior established his own fashion house, at 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris. Just two years after the end of World War II, the fashion crowd and the moribund haute couture industry were yearning, comme tout Paris, for security and prosperity, desperate to discard the drab, sexless, utilitarian garb imposed by wartime deprivation. They needed to dream Dior delivered: He designed a collection for a bright, optimistic future. “It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian!” exclaimed Carmel Snow, the prescient American editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, famously proclaiming, “Your dresses have such a new look.” The press ran with the description, christening Dior’s debut Spring/Summer haute couture collection the New Look. “God help those who bought before they saw Dior,” said Snow. “This changes everything.”Dior’s collection definitively declared that opulence, luxury and femininity were in. His skirts could have 40-meter-circumference hems, and outfits could weigh up to 60 pounds. They were cut and shaped like architecture, on strong foundations that molded women and “freed them from nature,” Dior said. Rather than rationing, his ladies wanted reams of fabric and 19-inch waists enforced by wire corsets, and the fashion world concurred. The debut got a standing the subsequent decade, Paris ruled as the undisputed fashion capital of the world, and Christian Dior reigned as its king. With the luxuriously full skirts of his New Look, suits and his drop-dead gorgeous evening dresses and ball gowns worthy of any princess, Dior gave women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of 1stDibs, find an exquisite range of vintage Christian Dior clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items.

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

New Look Christiana Diora – wystawa kolekcji Adama Leja New Look Christian Dior – te słowa występują ze sobą nierozłącznie! Przy okazji wystawy “Christian Dior i ikony paryskiej mody z kolekcji Adama Leja” w Centralnym Muzeum Włókiennictwa w Łodzi przybliżę Wam sylwetkę projektanta i jego rewolucję w świecie powojennej mody. Czy faktycznie zmienił bieg wydarzeń, czy może to zasługa PR-owca, z którym od początku współpracował (przypominam – to 1947 rok!)? Zanim jednak przejdę do krótkiej historii projektanta, zapraszam na kilka słów o ekspozycji. Christian Dior i ikony paryskiej mody z kolekcji Adama Leja Pierwsza rzecz, która zwróciła moją uwagę, to niemal perfekcyjne przygotowanie wystawy. Wszystko tam do siebie pasowało. Tło, eleganckie manekiny, podpisy do których łatwo sięgnąć, proste i bogate w treści wprowadzenie. Nawet manekiny miały numerki, takie, jakie nosiły ówcześnie modelki na pokazach mody. Oświetlenie i dekoracje współgrały z kolekcją i pięknie wypełniały przestrzeń. Życzyłabym sobie, by polskie wystawy modowe wzorowały się na tej łódzkiej pod względem ekspozycji i szacunku do prezentowanych przedmiotów! Jedyny minus – ale nie wiem czy to kwestia tego, że po prostu się skończyły, czy nie były wyprodukowane – katalogi. A raczej ich brak. Zawsze chętnie zabieram ze sobą czy to pocztówki, czy katalogi albo choć broszury dotyczące wystaw, które odwiedzam. Jestem typem zbieracza, ale to przydaje się praktycznie – do napisania artykułów czy podzielenia się szerszym kontekstem w mediach społecznościowych. Idea New Look to w zachodniej modzie symbol początku odradzania się jej po trudach wojny. W czasach, kiedy Chanel (mimo wszystko) promowała skromne i nad wyraz uniwersalne kostiumy, które kobiety mogły zakładać do pracy, kiedy ich mężowie walczyli na froncie i kontynuowała ten styl także po 1945 r., kiedy Polacy przerabiali wszystko co zostało w ich szafach czy zdobyczach z paczek zza granicy, Christian Dior pokazał siłę mody. W szarej rzeczywistości 1947 r. zaproponował nową linię kobiecej sylwetki – podkreśloną figurę klepsydry w bardzo wysokiej jakości materiałach. Materiałach, które nadal były reglamentowane. Naprzeciw uniformizacji nadał ton modzie. I choć mówimy o haute couture, czyli czymś luksusowym, nieosiągalnym dla przeciętnego mieszkańca powojennego Paryża, Londynu czy Berlina – musiał wiedzieć (nie jest to zbyt odkrywcze), że przecież odradzają się: nowe elity polityczne kino i przemysł rozrywkowy nowe klasy (?) społeczne i częściowo arystokracja a zatem znajdą się klienci na jego produkty. Wystawa Na wystawie zobaczyć można było namiastkę, składającej się z ponad 5 tys. obiektów, kolekcji Adama Leja. Oprócz przedmiotów i projektów Christiana Diora pojawiły się na niej również elementy związane z paryskim światem haute couture. Zobaczyć z bliska, a nie za szybą czy barierkami (przynajmniej w Polsce) stroje i akcesoria największych domów mody ze stolicy Francji, takich marek jak Elsa Schiaparelli, Nina Ricci, Pierre Balmain, Pierre Cardin, Jeanne Lanvin, Roger Vivier, Jean Patou, Coco Chanel, Hubert de Givenchy, André Courrèges, Paco Rabanne, Yves Saint Laurent, Thierry Mugler, Jean Louis Scherrer czy Ted Lapidus, to coś wyjątkowego. Kuratorka: Marta Kowalewska Producentka: Daria Jelińska Aranżacja przestrzeni: Maja Pawlikowska Projekt graficzny: POLKADOT Współpraca fotograficzna: Michał Radwański Konsultant: Paul Bouvier Więcej na temat wystawy na stronie www Muzeum>> Christian Dior – kim był i co zrobił dla światowej mody? Wpływ Christiana Diora, a w szczególności jego New Looku, na historię współczesnej mody jest ogromny. Nie do przecenienia! Na potrzeby artykułu przygotowałam infografikę z esencją marki – super ciekawostkami! Zachęcam do zerknięcia i pobrania 😉 [Btw // lubię tworzyć infografiki, ale praca nad nimi jest tak czasochłonna, że niestety nie zdarza się to dość często, dlatego liczę na to, że Wam się podoba takie urozmaicenie przemycania informacji.] Prawie dyplomata i niespełniony właściciel galerii sztuki zaczął karierę w 1935 r. od rysowania dla tygodnika “Figaro Illustre” i różnych domów mody. Podjął nawet stałą współpracę jako stylista u Roberta Pigueta, a później wziął go pod swoje skrzydła Lucien Lelong – przedsiębiorca z branży tekstylnej, kierownik przedwojennej Izby Rzemieślniczej Elitarnej Mody i Izby Syndykatu Mody Paryskiej. Kiedy w 1946 r. zaproponowano mu kolejną współpracę, zdecydował o powstaniu własnej marki. Christian Dior chciał nie tylko zachować francuskie tradycje tkanin i szycia, ale też udowodnić, że Paryż nadal jest stolicą światowej mody. Pierwszą kolekcję – “Linia kwiatu” zaprezentował przy 30 Avenue Montaigne 12 lutego 1947 r. Co ciekawe, jego New Look miał tak samo wielu zwolenników, ilu przeciwników. W USA gospodynie domowe przywitały go nieprzyjemnymi banerami sprzeciwiającymi się antyfeministycznej i krępującej kobiece ciało wizji mody projektanta. Dior zmarł w 1957 roku, a stery jego domu mody przejął Yves Saint Laurent. Następnie rządzili nim Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, John Galliano (w 1996 roku, jako pierwszy Anglik kierujący francuskim domem modem), Raf Simons, Maria Grazia Chiuri. Choć każdy z nich chciał nadać marce swój sznyt, to wielu innych twórców inspiruje się stylem Diora, co widać również na łódzkiej wystawie. Centralne Muzeum Włókiennictwa w Łodzi Wystawę “Christian Dior i ikony paryskiej mody z kolekcji Adama Leja” udało mi się zobaczyć dopiero w ostatnich dniach jej trwania, choć wyjazd planowałam niemal od jej premiery. Mam nadzieję, że następne wystawy będę odwiedzać z prędkością światła i informować Was o wrażeniach, żebyście sami mogli się na nie wybrać! Jeśli interesuje Was sama instytucja, która regularnie gości ekspozycje związane z modą – o Centralnym Muzeum Włókiennictwa w Łodzi pisałam też we wpisie z 2016 r. (tam poczytacie o historii tego miejsca)! Niebawem temat tego miasta pojawi się jeszcze raz – tym razem w postaci recenzji (? choć to chyba za mało) książki “Aleja Włókniarek” Marty Madejskiej. Planuję też kolejny wyjazd do Łodzi, tym razem na wystawę “Jerzy Antkowiak – Moda Polska”. Będzie ją można oglądać do 17 marca 2019 r.! źródła: Centralne Muzeum Włókiennictwa Irma Kozina, “Historia mody. Od krynoliny do mini” Design Museum, “Fifty dresses that changed the world” Fashion The Ultimate Book of Costume and Style zdjęcia: ja te, na których mnie widzicie: Marta Gutsche Studio Christian Dior i ikony paryskiej mody Adama Leja w Centralnym Muzeum Włókiennictwa w Łodzi

Back Exhibitions The crafts The story of Dior The books 12 February 1947, an international success This is the story of a quip, which thanks to a magical moment, forged a legend. On 12 February 1947 at Christian Dior, aged 42, presented his first collection at 30 Avenue Montaigne, which was strewn with flowers by Lachaume. The Editor-in-Chief of Harper's Bazaar, Carmel Snow, strongly believed in the couturier's talent, which she had already noted in 1937 with the Café Anglais model that he designed for Robert Piguet. At the end of the fashion show, having seen those unique silhouettes, those lengths, those volumes, those tiny waists and devilishly sexy busts, she exclaimed, "It's quite a revolution, dear Christian! Your dresses have such a new look!" A correspondent from Reuters seized upon the slogan and quickly wrote it on a note that he threw from the balcony to a courier posted on Avenue Montaigne. The news reached the United States even before the rest of France, where the press had been on strike for a month. The American journalist, who cabled the brilliant slogan to her editor, did not know how right she was. The newness of which she spoke caused shock waves on both sides of the Atlantic. Just two years after the war, Dior, with this collection in his own image, definitively turned the page of restriction, gloom, rationing, gravity and uniforms. With the utmost seriousness, he wanted to give women back their taste for light-heartedness, the art of seduction: he had known since his childhood that they always kept it hidden somewhere within them, even in the most dramatic of circumstances. He learnt this in Granville during the Second World War, by observing women looking at the Parisian magazines that it was so difficult to get hold of: surprised and excited by the fashionable dresses, they raced to have them made as soon as they closed the magazine. The Bar jacket, an icon of the New Look With his revolutionary New Look, Christian Dior wrote a new chapter in the history of fashion. Furthermore, in order to write it, he literally constructed it with his own hands. The would-be architect had to hammer away at a Stockman mannequin that was too tough and unyielding to bear the preparatory canvases of his visionary wardrobe, says his friend Suzanne Luling: "And so, with big, nervous blows of the hammer, he gave the mannequin the same form of the ideal woman for the fashion that he was to launch." His aim was clear; his hand did not tremble. "I wanted my dresses to be 'constructed', moulded on the curves of the female body whose contours they would stylise. I accentuated the waist, the volume of the hips, I emphasised the bust. In order to give my designs more hold, I had nearly all the fabrics lined with percale or taffeta, renewing a tradition that had long been abandoned." Thus, on 12 February 1947 at the announcer introduced "numéro un, number one". The first outfit was worn by Marie-Thérèse and opened the show during which the astounded audience saw 90 different creations file past, belonging to two principal lines: En Huit and Corolle. Bettina Ballard, Fashion Editor at Vogue, had returned to New York a few months earlier after 15 years spent covering French fashion from Paris, believing European fashion was heading for a dead end. But she was a good sport and even she had to bow to the innovative genius of Dior: "We have witnessed a revolution in fashion at the same time as a revolution in the way of showing fashion." The Bar jacket immortalised in the famous photo by Willy Maywald, was a signature piece from this collection with its cream shantung morning coat with rounded tails that closely followed the curves of the bust and its large black pleated skirt that flared out, giving the gait an elegant swing that had never been seen before. It was all cleverly completed by a little black pillar-box hat perched cheekily on the head, gloves and fine slender shoes in complete contrast to the square-toed shoes with wedged heels worn by those who had come to watch the fashion show. One by one, like plucking petals from a daisy, it was possible to pick out the major pieces of this manifesto-collection that demonstrated the style and state of mind of a rigorous and joyful man. There was the Passe-Partout suit in navy-blue wool crepe with its crew-neck jacket, pockets on the chest and the tails and pencil skirt that outlined the irreproachable En Huit line. The Corolle afternoon dress in black wool fastened with five large buttons on the bust and skirt with aptly-named miraculous pleats. The Jungle sheath dress with a panther motif, the Soirée dress with two layers of superimposed pleats in navy blue taffeta... In short, from Rita Hayworth to the average woman on the street that couture did not normally touch, but who learnt during the post-war period to work miracles with her sewing machine, everyone now wanted to adopt this new look that Christian Dior himself was later to describe as "the return to an ideal of civilised happiness." Not long after the fashion show, Elle magazine printed a photo of Marlene Dietrich's calves, the "most beautiful legs in the world", advising its readers to take a good look because they were never likely to be seen again – the star had just ordered 10 New Look dresses whose hems would now cover her up! Dior became "the most famous Frenchman in the world", according to the headline of the L'Aurore newspaper. A photo showed two women tearing apart the New Look outfit of a third woman in the middle of the street, shocked by the lengths of fabric and ‘indecent’ sensuality. It was to misunderstand the motivation of Dior who, in designing "flower women with soft shoulders, blossoming bosoms, waists as slender as creepers and skirts as wide as corollas" only wanted to make them happy. Which he succeeded in doing. Over six decades after its creation, the New Look revolution and its spirit continue to inspire Dior. The New Look is a perpetual evolution. DELETE THIS ADDRESS ? DELETE THIS ADDRESS ? Remove This Product ? You must be logged in to add this product to your wishlist NOTIFY ME

Dior’s iconic bar jacket photographed by Patrick Demarchelier in the ‘Dior Couture’ book. The year was 1947 when Christian Dior unveiled his first collection in Paris, and it was immediately dubbed the “new look” by Harper’s Bazaar US, cementing the designer’s place in fashion history. This look was characterized by layers of fabric and of course the iconic bar jacket which would endure for many years. Following up the post-war years of austere style, Dior ushered in a Belle Epoque sense of luxury with layers of fabric that sometimes used over twenty yards of material. In the same way, Dior uses the feel of luxury in a bottle of Christian Dior perfume through a combination of notes that harmonize to classic perfection, culminating in a sleek and timeless spray bottle design–the bar jacket hits all the same notes for wearers of the piece. Dior’s Bar jacket is characterized by molded curves, a cinched waist, elevated bust and padded hips. Christian Dior named it the Bar jacket since the piece was intended for the afternoon cocktail hour at hotels. What made Dior’s “new look” so captivating? The full skirts and focus on the female form was welcomed by many women in Europe and the United States after the war years where materials were limited and rationed. Moreover, Dior helped Paris regain its premiere fashion capital status after its fall during WWII. Dior Bar Jacket in Photos Through the years, the Bar jacket has been re-created by Dior creative directors John Galliano and Raf Simons (and not to mention countless other designers inspired by Dior’s “new look”). Galliano often featured the piece in his couture showings while Raf Simons made the bar jacket a staple of his debut, fall 2012 haute couture collection. The jacket has remained popular with women ever since its inception because though trends in what is considered “en vogue” for the ideal women’s body type, the bar jacket flattered any woman’s figure – something women searching for the perfect jacket for virtually any occasion knew they could count on. Iconic fashion pieces like this come along only once in a while – think “little black dress.” Pieces like this also become our main wardrobe staples, like the perfect watch, your signature scent, and your go-to clutch when you’re heading out the door. To say fashion as art may seem like an oversimplification, but when design and structure are nailed the way they were with creating the bar jacket, it’s an absolute truth. John Galliano designed a red version of the bar jacket for Dior’s fall 2009 couture show. Raf Simons’ sleek and modern version of the Dior bar jacket for Dior’s fall 2012 haute couture show. Raf Simons’ sleek and modern version of the Dior bar jacket for Dior’s fall 2012 haute couture show. Raf Simons’ updated version of the Dior bar jacket for ‘Dior: New Couture’ by Patrick Demarchelier. The Dior bar jacket featured in the brand’s spring 2009 couture runway show.

Inspired 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 Dior Forever Couture Perfect Cushion, 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. DIOR FOREVER CUSHION IN HAUTE COUTUREGraced with the iconic houndstooth motif, Dior Forever Couture Perfect Cushion is inspired by the very essence of Dior couture. As travel-friendly as ever, the refillable high-perfection foundation with 24h* wear gives even more meaning to couture makeup. Dior Forever Couture Perfect Cushion - New Look Limited EditionFoundation - 24h Wear - Hydrating - Luminous Matte and Glow FinishesROUGE DIOR ICONIC HAUTE COUTURE OBJECTThe emblematic houndstooth couture motif adorns the tube and stick of Rouge Dior. Infused with floral lip care and long-wearing, the iconic lipstick and colored lip balms come in 7 couture finishes, ranging from satin to Dior - New Look Limited EditionLipstick and Colored Lip Balm - Floral Lip Care - Couture Color - Refillable - Engraved Houndstooth MotifEXCLUSIVE LIMITED EDITION: 8 SHADES AND 1 LIP BALMTHE ICONIC 5 COULEURS PALETTE WITH THE HOUNDSTOOTH MOTIFFor its iconic 5-color eye makeup palette, Dior has created a limited edition inspired by the "New Look". Tutu, the palette of pinks, browns and a pearly lavender shade, decked out for the occasion with a houndstooth motif in echo to the couture creations of the House of Couleurs Couture - New Look Limited EditionEye Palette - 5 Eyeshadows - Engraved Houndstooth PatternLA 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 TODISCOVER THE COMPLETE NEW LOOK ROUTINE01PERFECT YOUR COMPLEXION * 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

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