CHRISTIAN DIOR HAUTE COUTURE Aqua Draped Gown Size 0 2
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Length: 55 in (139.7 cm)Marked Size: 0 (US)Bust: 32 in (81.28 cm)Waist: 26.5 in (67.31 cm)Hip: 35.5 in (90.17 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU481862323
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 adapted by Alexander's Blue White Polka Dot Ruffle Gown 4By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis is a darling long dress, made by Alexander's adaptation of original by Yves Saint Laurent. It is made of a blue with white pols dot polished cotton, and has ruffles at the neck ...Category
1970s American Summer Dresses
- ELIZABETH MASON COUTURE Turquoise Silk Jersey Halter Gown Made to OrderBy Elizabeth Mason CoutureLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis Elizabeth Mason Couture dress is fashioned from the finest silk jersey. This fabulous halter design is effortlessly chic and can be custom made in a variety of colors. Made in B...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- ELIZABETH MASON COUTURE Made to Order Silk Green "Rose" Wrap with FeathersBy Elizabeth Mason CoutureLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis Elizabeth Mason Couture "Rose Wrap" is fashioned from the finest silk and is manufactured at Elizabeth Mason's Beverly Hills Atelier. This wrap is available in a variety of fi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Bob Mackie Strapless Beaded Gown, Circa 1980By Bob MackieLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis is a long, multi colored, silk beaded gown by Bob Mackie, from 1980. The gown is strapless with beading all over, a constructed bustier, and a zipper up the back.
...Category1980s Evening Gowns
- 1960's Custom Emerald Heavily Embellished Gown and Jacket Size 4-8Located in Los Angeles, CAThis custom 1960's ensemble is composed of a deep green embellished silk with a floral motif. The jacket features center front hook and eye closures and the gown has a center back zi...Category
1960s Hong Kong Evening Gowns
- 1950's Aqua Floral Watercolor Gown with Hi-Lo Skirt Size 2-4Located in Los Angeles, CAThis gown is composed of an aqua and white fabric with a watercolor flower motif. Features a high - low skirt. There is a center back zipper closure. (photographed with crinoline, n...Category
20th Century American Evening Dresses
- Jean Paul Gaultier blue cyber dot printed lycra bodycon dress, fw 1995By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GB▪ Jean Paul Gaultier cyber dot printed dress ▪ Iconic dots printed in the form of a woman, dressed in a bra and thong ▪ Skin tight fit ▪ High neck ▪ Calf-le...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Roberto Cavalli blue and purple acid wash silk open back maxi dress, ss 1999By Roberto CavalliLocated in London, GB▪ Roberto Cavalli blue and purple silk maxi dress ▪ Acid wash print with gold glitter ▪ Open back with drape ▪ V neck ▪ Long ties with crystal...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace aqua blue felted wool and gold lace top and skirt set, ss 1999By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace aqua blue felted wool top and skirt set ▪ Designed by Donatella Versace ▪ Felted wool with metallic gold lace underlay ▪ Nude mesh ...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- M Missioni Blue Metallic Knit Tie Shoulder Detail Maxi Dress SBy M MissoniLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2An M Missoni outfit like this can smoothly take you through season after season. One cannot underestimate the addition of a blue dress in their collection. This blended fabric ensemb...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses
- Mary Katrantzou Cobalt Blue Paisley Macrame Lace Overlay Geri Shift Dress MBy Mary KatrantzouLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2The tailoring of this dress is definite and exquisite making it another perfect creation by Mary Katrantzou. It comes with long sleeves and a Paisley Macrame lace overlay. Make a wor...Category
2010s British Evening Dresses
- Roberto Cavalli Blue Floral Printed Satin Sleeveless Flared Dress SBy Roberto CavalliLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2A perfect dress to get your ready for Sunday brunches, this Roberto Cavalli flared dress is sure to steal your heart. Designed with floral print all over, this dress features a sleev...Category
2010s Italian Evening Dresses
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.