Historical Figure
Christian Dior
1905–1957
French fashion designer (1905–1957)
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Biography
Christian Ernest Dior was a French fashion designer and founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE. His fashion house is known all around the world, having gained prominence "on five continents in only a decade."
In Their Own Words (5)
It is unforgivable to do what one doesn't love especially if one succeeds.
Christian Dior The opulence of the groundbreaking “New Look” collection of 1947. p. 36, as cited in: Judith Miller (2008). Costume Jewellery, p. 36 , 2008
Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest.
Quoted in Ladies' Home Journal, April 1956 , 1956
I know very well the women. The short skirt was never a good fashion — very vulgar. The American women will accept the new fashions. You can never stop the fashions.
In: Malcolm Perrine McNair, Harry L. Hansen (1949) Problems in Marketing. p. 165 , 1949
Women are most fascinating between the ages of 35 and 40, after they have won a few races and know how to pace themselves. Since few women ever pass 40, maximum fascination can continue indefinitely.
in: Philippines Free Press Vol. 62, Nr. 14-26 (1969), p. 59 , 1969
I'm a mild man, but I have violent tastes.
In: "Dior," in LIFE, Vol. 24, nr. 9 (1 March 1948), p. 48 , 1948
Timeline
The story of Christian Dior, told in moments.
Ten years, 22 collections. He invented luxury fashion licensing. Today the Dior brand generates over $80 billion in annual revenue, making it the most valuable fashion house in the world.
Opens an art gallery in Paris with money from his father. Sells works by Picasso, Dali, and Giacometti. Three years later, his mother and brother die, the family fortune evaporates in the Depression, and the gallery closes.
Works as a fashion illustrator, penniless. During the German occupation, he designs dresses for the wives of Nazi officers and French collaborators. He never hides this. He needs to eat.
Debuts his first collection at 30 Avenue Montaigne. Rounded shoulders. Cinched waists. Billowing skirts using 20 yards of fabric when rationing is still in effect. Harper's Bazaar editor Carmel Snow calls it the "New Look." Paris reclaims fashion overnight.
Dior generates 75% of France's fashion export revenue and employs over 1,000 workers. The company expands to perfume, fur, stockings, and ready-to-wear. He licenses his name globally, a business model no designer has tried before.
Dies of a heart attack in Montecatini Terme, Italy, at 52. He'd been on a weight-loss cure. His assistant, 21-year-old Yves Saint Laurent, takes over the house.
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