Christian Dior Black Dress and Bolero Set
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Please note this item is in good condition with minor wear consistent with age and use.(please enlarge images to see all details on photos).
- Seller Location:Paris, FR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU187222393142
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: Paris, France
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Christian Dior Double-Breasted CoatBy Christian DiorLocated in Paris, FRChristian Dior double-breasted thigh-length coat featuring a herringbone pattern, a Peter Pan collar, double-breasted button fastening. Wool 100% Circa: 2000s In good vintage condit...Category
Early 2000s French Dinner Jackets
- Christian Lacroix Cream Jacquard Skirt SuitBy Christian LacroixLocated in Paris, FRChristian Lacroix cream white toggle-fastening jacquard skirt suit featuring a wool-silk blend, a full jacquard. Jacket gets a V-neck, a front jewel toggle fastening, crop sleeves, a...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- 2001, Chanel Ivory Camellia Two-Piece Skirt SuitBy ChanelLocated in Paris, FRChanel light ivory camellia pattern two-piece skirt suit featuring a cotton-silk blend fabric, a signature Camélia motive, faux-pearl embellishment. For the jacket featuring a classi...Category
Early 2000s French Skirt Suits
- 1991 Alaia Black Skirt Suit Butterflies Tribute to Elsa SchiaparelliBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Paris, FRAzzedine Alaia Collection autumn-Winter 1991 tribute to Elsa Schiaparelli black wool skirt suit featuring a jacket with cut out effect, single-breasted hook, printed silk lining with...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- 1973 Loris Azzaro Metallic Chainmail SetBy Loris AzzaroLocated in Paris, FR1973 Loris Azzaro metallic chainmail knitted set featuring two tone metallic top comes with matching chainmail shoulder bag. Structured minaudiere frame featuring baroque ball clas...Category
1970s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Emilio Pucci Blue Silk DressBy Emilio PucciLocated in Paris, FREmilio Pucci blue silk jersey printed dress featuring an iconic geometric print, a front gathered detail. Composition: 100% silk Estimated size IT42/38fr/US6 /UK10 Made in Italy. In...Category
1990s French Cocktail Dresses
- Dolce & Gabbana black 3-piece ensemble with ostrich feathers, A/W 1995By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB- Silk chiffon loose fitted blouse with ostrich feather trim on collar and cuffs (IT42-FR-38-UK10) - Black satin bra with lace trim and adjustable straps...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Yves Saint Laurent black silk off-shoulder blouse and maxi skirt set, fw 2001By Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint LaurentLocated in London, GB▪ Yves Saint Laurent black silk blouse and skirt evening set ▪ Designed by Tom Ford ▪ Sold by One of a Kind Archive ▪ Fall-Winter 2001 ▪ Off-shoulder peasant blouse ▪ Low-rise maxi ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gianni Versace multicoloured velvet mini dress and leggings set, fw 1992By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace multicoloured velvet mini dress and leggings set ▪ All over abstract print in blue, purple, pink, red and gold ▪ Turtle neck m...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vivienne Westwood rope print knitted cowl-neck top and drape skirt set, ss 1998By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood rayon-knit top and skirt 2-piece set ▪ Allover beige rope print ▪ Cowl-neck top ▪ Draped knee-length skirt with elasticated waistband ▪ Size Medium ▪ 100% Rayo...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Dolce & Gabbana tiger print and denim 3-piece skirt suit, fw 1999By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GB▪ Dolce & Gabbana 3-piece skirt suit ▪ Fitted jacket in black denim with red contrast topstitch ▪ Bra-top with open back and tiger-print front with sequins ▪ Low-rise maxi skirt w...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit bodycon dress and cardigan set, fw 1993By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit dress and cardigan 2 piece set ▪ Sleeveless bodycon maxi dress with lining ▪ Long-sleeve full-length cardigan ▪ Gold Medusa buttons ▪ Can be wo...Category
1990s 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.