Christian Dior Haute Couture Gown Autuwm/Winter 1972
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Length: 64 in (162.56 cm)Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 26 in (66.04 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU58332345733
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: Los Angeles, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Lace DressBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Los Angeles, CAHaute Couture Lace Dress by Yves Saint Laurent White lace detail on bust White detachable belt Navy skirt Sleeveless Strapless Structured bust Scoop cut out on back Column silhoue...Category
20th Century French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Haute Couture Gown with Beaded BodiceBy Pierre BalmainLocated in Los Angeles, CAGown by Pierre Balmain Empire waist Striped beaded bodice Pink satin waistband Purple silk linen skirt Condition: Good vintage condition. Beading is de...Category
Mid-20th Century Evening Gowns
- Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture Dress circa 1980sBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis is an haute couture dress by Yves Saint Laurent c. 1980s. It is made from charcoal colored satin. It features gathered and folded fabric all around with a two tiered ruffled sk...Category
1980s Cocktail Dresses
- Jean Paul Gaultier Pleated Dress FW2002By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Los Angeles, CAVintage Pleated Stitched Long Dress by Jean Paul Gaultier Femme Fall / Winter 2002 Ready-To-Wear Made in Italy Black Long sleeve Floor length dress Turtle neckline Pleated and stitch...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Attico Color Block Sequin Wrap DressLocated in Los Angeles, CAColor block sequin wrap dress by Attico Wrap style mini dress V-neckline Color-blocked multicolored sequins throughout Blouson Long sleeves with t...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vintage Vicky Tiel Gathered Strapless DressBy Vicky TielLocated in Los Angeles, CAVintage Strapless Gathered Dress by Vicky Tiel Circa 1980's Made in France Black Sweetheart neckline Gathered bodice with asymmetrical wrap effect Decorative bow on right hip Int...Category
1980s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Arnold Scaasi Purple One Shoulder Textured Gown, 1960sBy Arnold ScaasiLocated in West Palm Beach, FLArnold Scaasi Purple One Shoulder Textured Gown - 8 - 60's This spectacular and unique one shoulder textured gown has a straight fit and an extra layer that comes across the front an...Category
1960s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Unlabeled Couture Silk Chiffon Floral & Striped Sleeveless Maxi DressLocated in Studio City, CAUnlabeled couture chiffon floral and striped sleeveless maxi dress in purple, fuchsia, navy blue, and green. The dress has a square neckline, flutter sleeves and waist ties. Fully li...Category
1960s French Maxi Dress
- 1970s Blue and Red Rose Print Silk Jersey DressLocated in London, GBThis late 1970s to early 1980s French couture silk jersey maxi dress has a beautiful blue and red rose print design against a darker blue background. It has a high, round neckline an...Category
1970s French Maxi Dress
- 19c. Indian Tribal Violet Silk DressLocated in Sharon, CTHand woven violet silk dress with gold braid appliqué decoration on hem and sleeve cuffs. Fully lined in cotton and fine linen. Length of sleeve 20.5", shoulder to shoulder lenghth ...Category
19th Century Indian Wedding Dresses
- Helmut Lang New Dress with Sequins 1990sBy Helmut LangLocated in Water Mill, NYA great navy blue dress by Helmut Lang. It is a simple crew neck sheath with a square black sequin covered center front panel from neckline to bust. It is unlined and has snaps clo...Category
1990s French Sheath Dresses
- Versace Color Block Dress with StudsBy VersaceLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous dress from Versace in purple and black silk jersey. It is sleeveless, semi fitted with a purple front panel and with insets of black along one side and front hem covered ...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
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.