Christian Dior

We profile legendary fashion label Christian Dior including a look at which celebrities wear it

Start Slideshow
loading

Gimme the facts...

Christian Dior,designer,fashion designer,designer profile,fashion label,challenge designer Christian Dior Having left the French Army in 1942, 36-year-old Christian Dior joined the fashion house of Lucien Lelong where he and Pierre Balmain became the primary designers. Throughout the Second World War, Dior dressed the wives of the Nazi officers and French collaborators until in October 1946 he founded his own fashion house. His first collection was quickly dubbed the New Look by Carmel Snow, the editor-in-chief of Harper\'s Bazaar because Dior\'s designs were more voluptuous than the boxy, fabric-conserving shapes of the recent wartime styles, influenced by the rations on fabric.
Dior died suddenly of a heart attack in 1957 aged 52 and creative control of the label quickly passed into the hands of his young protégé, 21-year-old Yves Saint Laurent, who further cemented its place in the history books. Saint Laurent was called up for national service in 1960 and fellow Frenchman Marc Bohan took over and remained in the driving seat until Gianfranco Ferre was appointed to run the label in 1989. In 1997 British designer John Galliano was appointed as the creative director, a partnership which has proved highly successful and lucrative.

What\'s all the fuss about?

Christian Dior,designer,fashion designer,designer profile,fashion label,challenge designer Dior s/s 2009 The 10 short years that Christian Dior was at the helm of the label became known as the golden age of couture, because he set a new standard for high fashion that has probably never been surpassed. A master at creating shapes and silhouettes, Dior showed boned, wasp-waisted corsets and petticoats that made his dresses flare out from the waist, giving his models a very curvaceous ‘ballerina\' silhouette. Initially, women protested because his designs covered up their legs, which they had been unused to because of the previous wartime limitations on fabric, but it wasn\'t long before women the world over began clamouring for them. Today under Galliano, Dior has become synonymous with fabulous glamour for the chic but adventurous woman.

Who wears it?

Christian Dior,designer,fashion designer,designer profile,fashion label,challenge designer Sarah Jessica Parker In its heyday, Christian Dior was the label of choice for Princess Grace of Monaco and Elizabeth Taylor. Today Carla Bruni Sarkozy wears nothing else when on official first lady duty and Charlize Theron (face of J\'Adore perfume) is (naturally) a fan as is current face of Lady Dior, Oscar winning actress Marion Cotillard. Dior is a regular feature on the red carpet but notable other admirers include Sarah Jessica Parker, Reese Witherspoon and Dita Von Teese, all of whom love the way Dior celebrates femininity and accentuates their curves.

Liked that? Read these...

Post Your Comment

You can find us here...
Member benefits
  • Free weekly newsletter
  • Talk to forum members
  • Win 100s of freebies
SIGN UP TODAY
Competitions & Offers

  •

    Win a  £5,000 'Bejeweled' Diamond & Sapphire Ring read more>>


  • New Year, New Drinking Habits – the Healthy Drink Celebrities Are Going Nuts For! read more>>


  • Win a VIP weekend to London to see SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN! read more>>


  • Win £500 of Superdrug vouchers with Surveys.co.uk read more>>


  • WIN an amazing Lucky Voice VIP party worth £500! read more>>


  • Celebrate Valentine’s Day with the smash hit musical Wicked read more>>

Promotions