Christian Dior Brown Astrakhan Coat
About the Item
- Designer:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: CSIM0319DIORAST1stDibs: LU3366588141
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Prada Black Jacquard Astrakhan Coat size 42ITBy PradaLocated in London, GBCrafted in Italy from an intricate combination of lambskin and fox fur, this pre-owned, 1920's inspired astrakhan coat by Prada features a black Persia...Category
1920s Coats and Outerwear
- Lanvin Animal Print Fur Collared CoatBy Lanvin ParisLocated in London, GB* Animal print * Fur exterior and collar * Concealed buttons * Grosgrain trim * Fabric lining * Excellent Condition: This pre-loved piece is in excellent condition, with no significa...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Coats
- Prada Black Coat with CuffsBy PradaLocated in London, GB* Wool Blend * 5 Button Closure * Classic Collar * Fur cuffs * A-Line Fit * Excellent Condition: This pre-owned piece has almost no signs of wear. Please note that most items we car...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Coats
- Hermès White Goatskin GiletBy HermèsLocated in London, GBFeaturing 100% goatskin and fur, Hermès' leatherwork really shines. It is also a short fit, high neck and has a detachable belt at the waist.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vests
- Hermès Sheepskin Gilet with Silk Scarf InteriorBy HermèsLocated in London, GBA beautiful example of the quality and design that comes from the Hermès maison. Made of 100% sheepskin, this lush and soft long gilet also comes with an...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Vests
- Chanel Red Patent Leather Coat Spring/Summer 2013By ChanelLocated in London, GBElevate the most understated of outfits with a scarlet red leather coat from Chanel. Arriving off the runway of the graphic spring/summer 2013 collectio...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Coats
- Verheyen London Aurora Quilted Coat with detachable hood - Size uk 14By Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Aurora Quilted Coat with detachable hood - Size uk 14 The Aurora Quilted Coat is made with 100% nylon in by expert Italian manufacturers is an investment piece for y...Category
2010s British Fur Puffer Coats
- Verheyen London Aurora Quilted Coat with detachable hood - Size uk 12By Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Aurora Quilted Coat with detachable hood - Size uk 12 The Aurora Quilted Coat is made with 100% nylon in by expert Italian manufacturers is an investment piece for y...Category
2010s British Fur Puffer Coats
- Verheyen London Aurora Quilted Coat with detachable hood - Size uk 14By Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Aurora Quilted Coat with detachable hood - Size uk 14 The Aurora Quilted Coat is made with 100% nylon in by expert Italian manufacturers is an investment piece for y...Category
2010s British Fur Puffer Coats
- Verheyen London Aurora Quilted Coat with detachable hood - Size uk 8By Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Aurora Quilted Coat with detachable hood - Size uk 8 The Aurora Quilted Coat is made with 100% nylon in by expert Italian manufacturers is an investment piece for y...Category
2010s British Fur Puffer Coats
- Dolce & Gabbana black fur and leather fringed coat, fw 2003By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana black weasel fur and lambskin leather coat with high turn-over collar, large snap fastenings and leather fringed trim. Fall-Winter 2003Category
Early 2000s Italian Coats and Outerwear
- Dolce & Gabbana black sheared weasel fur coat with leather fringing, A / W 2003By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBBlack sheared weasel fur coat with leather fringe inserts. - Extra tall funnel collar - Large snap button closures throughout - Black silk lining Autum...Category
Early 2000s Italian Coats and Outerwear
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.