Christian Dior by Marc Bohan vintage numbered couture black tulle evening dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: French 36 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Antwerpen, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU44717747312
Christian Dior
When 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. Vintage Dior bags, shoes, evening dresses, shirts and other garments and accessories are known today for their feminine and sophisticated sensibility.
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 friend.
This 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 anew.
And 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 ovation.
In 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 couture dresses and ball gowns worthy of any princess, Dior gave women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of war.
On 1stDibs, find an exquisite range of vintage Christian Dior clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Antwerpen, Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Thierry Mugler couture 90s vintage black crepe dress.By Thierry MuglerLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestThierry Mugler couture 1990s vintage black crepe dress with black velvet detailing on the collar, buttons, cuffs, pockets, and plissé skirt. Unlined and closes with hidden. snaps in...Category
1990s French Cocktail Dresses
- Jean Colonna vintage SS 1998 asymmetric floral partly transparent jersey dressLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestVerlaine Vintage presents a Jean Colonna asymmetric floral dress from the spring-summer 1998 collection. A piece that epitomizes Jean Colonna's minimalist sensuality, this dress has an interesting asymmetric design. The left side is constructed with a regular long sleeve, while the right side is sleeveless and the neckline functions as a shoulder strap. The designer explored this concept in several of their mid-'90s collections. The piece is crafted from an unusual technical jersey (71% viscose, 21% nylon) with a floral print that would look right at home in a vintage 70s interior...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent vintage 1980s tulle trimmed strapless dress and bolero setBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestYves Saint Laurent's original 1980s version of the tulle trimmed dress available in the Saint Laurent Fall 2019 collection. The strapless bustier dress comes with a matching bolero....Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage 1970s Lanvin black crepe/velvet and rhinestone buttons elegant dressBy Lanvin ParisLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestBlack wool crepe with velvet & rhinestones button at the front + cuffs. French size 38 in excellent condition. Measurements taken flat: Sh to Sh 16inch/41cm - Ua to Ua 18inch/46cm(x2...Category
1970s French Cocktail Dresses
- Gianni Versace couture vintage black lace embellished a-line mini dress, fw 1996By Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestVintage Gianni Versace couture fall winter 1996 sleeveless with crew neck trim embellishment mini shift dress. Concealed Zip Closure at Back The size label is missing please use the ...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Giorgio di Sant' Angelo vintage 1989 documented black stretch net wrap dressBy Giorgio di Sant' AngeloLocated in Antwerpen, Vlaams GewestGiorgio di Sant' Angelo, celebrated for his trailblazing designs, created wrap tops that featured on one of Vogue's most memorable covers. These tops were showcased in the January 19...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white striped trainBy Roland KleinLocated in Austin, TX1980s Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white train. Acetate fabric. 34" bust, 26" waist, 40" hips, 48" front length - 54 1/2" ba...Category
1980s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vivienne Westwood Nude Satin, Black Lace and Velvet Corset and Skirt, FW 1996By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Brand: Vivienne Westwood Gold Label ▪ Creative Director: Vivienne Westwood ▪ Collection: Fall-Winter 1996 ▪ Fabric: Black Lace, Nude Satin ▪ Details: One-shoulder corset top adorn...Category
1990s English Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1960s Galanos Creme Long Sleeve Dress with Green Rhinestones EmbellishmentBy Galanos for Amelia Gray, James GalanosLocated in Beverly Hills, CA1960s James Galanos from Amelia Gray Boutique Creme silk crinkle long sleeve dress embellished in green rhinestones and white beads. Dress has some issues on the arm pit . ( see imag...Category
1960s American Wedding Dresses
- 1980s Jacqueline de Ribes Deep Purple Taffeta One-Shoulder Cocktail Dress w RoseBy Jacqueline de RibesLocated in Gresham, OR1980s Jacqueline de Ribes Deep Purple Taffeta One-Shoulder Cocktail Dress w Roses: This documented Jacqueline de Ribes heavily boned, ruched, asymmetrical, ingeniously designed mi...Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- 1970s Geoffrey Beene Red, Black, and Green Plaid Maxi DressBy Geoffrey Beene, Geoffrey Been BoutiqueLocated in Beverly Hills, CA1970s Geoffrey Beene Plaid maxi long sleeve dress with beautiful collar and large belt. color : red, black, green and white paten leather belt po...Category
1970s American Wedding Dresses
- Blue sequin dress with white star sequins pattern JC/DCBy JC DE CASTELBAJACLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRBlue sequin dress with white star sequins pattern . Fabric composition: 100% polyester. The back is plain polyester satin. Orange cotton ribbing on the neck-line,on the bottom edge a...Category
Early 2000s Indian Cocktail Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Too Soon for the Return of ’90s Fashion? As If
There's a renewed appreciation for the era's aesthetic, perhaps most notably among millennials seeking authentic, easy style.
14 Iconic Luxury Handbags and the Stories behind Them
When the name of a bag is as well-known as its brand, you know it's a classic.