Dior Spring 2003 RTW Silk Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: FR 40 (NA)
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Prague, CZ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2389213687802
John Galliano for Christian Dior
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 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 collectible and 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. In just eight weeks, Galliano produced 50 looks for Dior Haute Couture’s brilliant Spring/Summer 1997 Maasai collection and would ultimately design a mind-boggling eight collections a year for the storied French fashion house until 2011. Today, Galliano is the creative director of Maison Margiela.
Shop vintage and contemporary John Galliano for Christian Dior evening dresses and gowns, shoes, handbags 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: Prague, Czech Republic
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- SS 2002 Versace by Donatella Versace Sheer Sunflower Print DressBy Gianni Versace Couture, Donatella Versace for Gianni VersaceLocated in Prague, CZA fun dress with a ruched “harmonica” effect and signature for the collection sunflower print. Size IT 38, fits like Small but has stretch. Measurements (...Category
Early 2000s Day Dresses
- Spring 1996 Gianni Versace Couture Neon Green Highlighter Print Silk DressBy Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in Prague, CZThe iconic neon green dress, featured on the runway and in the campaign. The lightest, slightly sheer, stretchy crepe chiffon silk blend. Size IT 42,...Category
1990s Day Dresses
- Jean-Paul Gaultier Spring 2013 Braided Raffia DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Prague, CZQV Archive presents: A gorgeous braided raffia dress, as seen on the runway of a collection, inspired by 80s pop music artists, in look dedicated to Sade Ad...Category
2010s Day Dresses
- Jean-Paul Gaultier Spring 1997 Runway Cardigan-DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Prague, CZAn unexpected Gaultier! Super comfy dress, imitating a cardigan with a mesh skirt and collar and beautiful mother of pearl buttons. Size marked as Medium, but will also be a fit for...Category
1990s Day Dresses
- Jean-Paul Gaultier Fall 1996 Psychedelic Print Jacquard Cheongsam DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Prague, CZNever Worn with Tag, a true collectible for any Jean-Paul Gaultier fan, this gorgeous Cheongsam-style jacquard knit dress is as fun as it’s warm! Size Medium and is a little bit str...Category
1990s Day Dresses
- Spring 2003 Dior by John Galliano Draped Jersey Mini DressBy John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in Prague, CZA sexy draped mini dress as seen on the runway in print, now available at QV Archive in timeless black. You can wear this dress on or off the shoulder (covering or baring your upper ...Category
Early 2000s Mini Dresses
- Vivienne Westwood 1991-1992 Cupid dressBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in CAPELLE AAN DEN IJSSEL, ZHThe Vivienne Westwood 1992 Putti Print Dress is a true gem from the iconic fashion designer's remarkable collection. The print was frist release...Category
1990s Day Dresses
- Christian Dior By John Galliano Ss 1998 Blue And Gold Floral Silk Jacquard DressBy John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in São Paulo, SPAbove-the-knee length Cowl-neckline Invisible side zipper Pre-owned vintage condition; no major/noticeable flaws. Size FR36. Message for measurements.Category
1990s French Mini Dresses
- Giorgio Armani SS2014By Giorgio ArmaniLocated in Paris, FRGIORGIO ARMANI SS2014 Silk pastel ( nightmare ) dress Tag GIORGIO ARMANI Size S 38IT/ 36USA Shoulder 40cM Chest 40cm Waist 40cm Hips 47cm Length 80cm Sleeve 45cm 100% silk 1st fa...Category
2010s European Informal Dresses
- Vivienne Westwood white cotton jersey dress, ss 1989By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood white cotton jersey dress with printed baroque picture frame. Civilizade, Spring-Summer 1989Category
1980s British Day Dresses
- Vivienne Westwood white cotton monkey t-shirt dress, ss 1993By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood white t-shirt dress ▪ 100% Cotton ▪ Black printed monkey ▪ Size Small ▪ Spring-Summer 1993Category
1990s British Day Dresses
- Chloe Pink Mist Crepe Flared Flounce Dress MBy ChloéLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Perfect for fun days with friends and brunch dates, this flounce dress comes from the iconic house of Chloe. Designed to deliver effortless style, this l...Category
2010s French Casual Dresses
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.
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.