John Galliano for Christian Dior S/S 2009 Silk Halter Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 4 (US)Waist: 27 in (68.58 cm)Hip: 36 in (91.44 cm)Shoulder to Hem: 38 in (96.52 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Water Mill, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5115261511
John Galliano
Known for introducing rich theatricality and memorable fashion spectacles to the runway, John Galliano has enjoyed a singular career. The audacious British designer has garnered universal acclaim for genre-breaking collections not only at his eponymous label but also for Givenchy and Christian Dior.
From his embroidered absinthe-green Oscars gown for actress Nicole Kidman to the iconic sleeveless newspaper-print dress that Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw made famous, Galliano’s intricate and multifaceted work is reliably newsworthy, drawing on history as often as it embodies a fresh and forward-looking sensibility, and over the years the designer has helped shape an ever-broadening new legion of enthusiasts for Parisian couture.
Born in Gibraltar but raised in South London by strict Roman Catholic working-class parents, Galliano attended the all-boys Church of England grammar school, where his flamboyance and interest in art attracted the attention of bullies. Eventually, Galliano ended up at the prestigious design and art school Central Saint Martins College (then called Saint Martin’s School of Art), where fellow British designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen also trained.
Galliano flourished at Central Saint Martins. While a student, he worked in the costume department at the National Theatre in London. His graduate collection in 1984, dubbed “Les Incroyables” and named for post–French Revolution fashion lovers, was modeled by close friends of his and earned a standing ovation. The line ended up in the storefront windows of London luxury boutique Brown’s on South Molton Street, and Galliano’s first official collection — after he graduated — debuted at Paris Fashion Week in 1989.
In the early 1990s, Galliano’s relationship with his financial backer, Plein Sud’s Faycal Amor, ended, and by 1994, he was broke and sleeping on the floor of a friend’s apartment. Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and then-Vanity Fair editor André Leon Talley stepped in and introduced the budding designer to Portuguese socialite and fashion patron São Schlumberger and others. At Schlumberger’s Hôtel Particulier, Galliano’s shows became the stuff of fashion legend. His collection, a blend of Japanese modernist style as well as nostalgia for Art Deco and 1940s’ tailoring, earned raves in glossy magazines and garnered the attention of Princess Diana, Madonna and other fashion luminaries.
Once the Galliano name was well known among the world’s most stylish set, the chairperson of LVMH, Bernard Arnault, appointed Galliano head designer of French fashion house Givenchy. One year later, in 1996, LVMH moved him to the design team at Dior, where he produced scores of celebrated looks for Dior Haute Couture. Today, Galliano is the creative director of Maison Margiela.
Shop vintage John Galliano evening dresses and gowns, handbags, jackets and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
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: Water Mill, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- 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
- Thierry Mugler Color Block DressBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Water Mill, NYA beautiful body conscious purple dress trimmed in black velvet by Thierry Mugler. It has short sleeves, a sweetheart neckline and is semi fitted with princess seaming through to th...Category
1990s French Day Dresses
- Valentino Boutique Silk Disc Sleeve Dress 1980sBy Valentino Garavani, ValentinoLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous navy silk dress with tiny white dots dress from Valentino. The cap sleeves are incredible, the ends of them encircled with several 100 finished circles adding dimension a...Category
1980s Italian Day Dresses
- Pierre Cardin 1960s Iconic Metal Hardware Collar DressBy Pierre CardinLocated in Water Mill, NYAn amazing purple wool dress from Pierre Cardin. It is sleeveless, skims the body then flares subtly to midi length with a center front slit. Around the neckline is a stunning silver metal hardware...Category
1960s French Day Dresses
- Gianni Versace Purple 1990s Dress with Origami HemBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous light weight purple wool dress by Gianni Versace. It is semi fitted with a stand up collar and long sleeves. The hem has intricate layers folds at angles front and back....Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- S/S 2002 Gianni Versace by Donatella Purple Lace-Up Eyelet DressBy Gianni Versace Couture, Donatella VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a purple plunging eyelet dress designed by Donatella for the Gianni Versace Spring/Summer 2002 collection. The eyelets that cover every inch of this dress give it a flirty...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- A French Navy Chiffon Cocktail Dress with White Polka Dots Circa 1975Located in Toulon, FRCirca 1975 France Elegant cocktail or ceremonial dress in navy chiffon printed with white polka dot stencil, signed Anne Valone Paris Circa 1975. Dr...Category
1970s French Cocktail Dresses
- Chic 1970s Vintage Blue and Pink Cotton + Silk Brocade Belted 70s Maxi DressLocated in San Diego, CASuch a chic 1970s maxi dress! Super soft, yet sturdy cotton fabric, with silk brocade detail at bust, and attached silk brocade belt that ties in the back. Psychedelic themed floral ...Category
1970s Maxi Dresses
- New Jay Godfrey Lavender Purple Cold Shoulder Cut - Out Silk Bodycon Mini DressLocated in San Diego, CABrand new JAY GODFREY lilac purple silk and lycra cut-out cold shoulder mini dress! Fitted bodice, with a slightly flared skirt that has a 90s feel. 92.5% ...Category
2010s American Cocktail Dresses
- Roberto Cavalli Napoleon Vintage Renaissance Women Vintage Pants Top Set DressBy Roberto CavalliLocated in PARIS, FRNapoleon set by Roberto Cavalli! Pants + lace up top! The set a work of art, and is a perfect showcase of Roberto Cavalli's background in art. The set features a very detailed mural...Category
1990s Italian Maxi Dresses
- NWT 1970s Halston IV Purple / Pink One Size Fits All Vintage 70s Maxi DressBy Halston, Roy Halston FrowickLocated in San Diego, CADeadstock (new with original store tags attached) 1970s HALSTON IV purple/pink long sleeve maxi dress ! Features a slinky jersey with a matching tie belt. Hook-and-eye closure at center neck. In great unworn condition with store tags still attached. Made in USA Marked One Size Fits All...Category
1970s American Maxi Dress
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
How John Galliano Caused Fashion Chaos around the Globe
The visionary designer epitomizes the pleasures and perils of irrepressible creative genius.
The Best Ways to Dress for Your Astrological Sign
Makeup and astrology expert Linda Mason dispenses fashion advice for every zodiac sign. Does your wardrobe match your horoscope?