Christian DIOR (French, 1905 - 1957)
Christian DIOR was born on January 21, 1905, in Granville, a seaside town in the north of France. He was the second of five children born to Alexandre Louis Maurice DIOR, the owner of a highly successful fertilizer manufacturer, and his wife, Isabelle. When he was a boy, DIOR's family moved to Paris, where he would spend his youth. Although DIOR was passionate about art and expressed an interest in becoming an architect, he submitted to pressure from his father and, in 1925, enrolled at the École des Sciences Politiques to begin his studies in political science, with the understanding that he would eventually find work as a diplomat.
After his graduation in 1928, however, DIOR opened a small art gallery with money he received from his father, who had agreed to lend his son his financial support on the condition that the family name would not appear above the gallery door. In the few years it was open, DIOR's gallery handled the works of such notable artists as Georges BRAQUE, Pablo PICASSO, Jean COCTEAU and Max JACOB. He was forced to close the gallery in 1931, a year that included the deaths of both his older brother and mother and the financial collapse of his father's business.
Following the closing of his gallery, DIOR began to make ends meet by selling his fashion sketches, and in 1935, landed a job illustrating the magazine Figaro Illustré. Several years later, DIOR was hired as a design assistant by Paris couturier Robert PIGUET. However, when World War II began the following year, Dior served in the south of France as an officer in the French army.
Following France's surrender to Germany in 1940, DIOR returned to Paris, where he was soon hired by couturier Lucien LELONG. In 1945, he met Marcel BOUSSAC, the "king of cotton", who immediately believes in his talent. Boussac invests sixty million francs and grants him a house in his name, at 30 Avenue Montaigne; his house, created on October 8, 1946, and inaugurated on December 16. He thus embarks on fashion and haute couture. Marcel BOUSSAC, who sells fabric, has made a right choice: from three meters to make a dress before, it takes twenty now for a dress Christian Dior.
On February 12, 1947, Christian DIOR revolutionized post-war fashion with his first runway show. The Dior house then works like all haute couture circles of the time: the designer designs the dresses which are then made in an intense collaborative work with his teams, including Mitzah BRICARD, Suzanne LULING and Pierre CARDIN. The silhouette he proposes is of a revolutionary design: arched waist, chest high and round, narrow shoulders, legs covered at 40 cm above the ground.
In 1957, several months after appearing on the cover of Time magazine, Christian Dior traveled to Italy to vacation in the town of Montecatini. While there, on October 23, 1957, he suffered what was his third heart attack and died, at the age of 52.
After his graduation in 1928, however, DIOR opened a small art gallery with money he received from his father, who had agreed to lend his son his financial support on the condition that the family name would not appear above the gallery door. In the few years it was open, DIOR's gallery handled the works of such notable artists as Georges BRAQUE, Pablo PICASSO, Jean COCTEAU and Max JACOB. He was forced to close the gallery in 1931, a year that included the deaths of both his older brother and mother and the financial collapse of his father's business.
Following the closing of his gallery, DIOR began to make ends meet by selling his fashion sketches, and in 1935, landed a job illustrating the magazine Figaro Illustré. Several years later, DIOR was hired as a design assistant by Paris couturier Robert PIGUET. However, when World War II began the following year, Dior served in the south of France as an officer in the French army.
Following France's surrender to Germany in 1940, DIOR returned to Paris, where he was soon hired by couturier Lucien LELONG. In 1945, he met Marcel BOUSSAC, the "king of cotton", who immediately believes in his talent. Boussac invests sixty million francs and grants him a house in his name, at 30 Avenue Montaigne; his house, created on October 8, 1946, and inaugurated on December 16. He thus embarks on fashion and haute couture. Marcel BOUSSAC, who sells fabric, has made a right choice: from three meters to make a dress before, it takes twenty now for a dress Christian Dior.
On February 12, 1947, Christian DIOR revolutionized post-war fashion with his first runway show. The Dior house then works like all haute couture circles of the time: the designer designs the dresses which are then made in an intense collaborative work with his teams, including Mitzah BRICARD, Suzanne LULING and Pierre CARDIN. The silhouette he proposes is of a revolutionary design: arched waist, chest high and round, narrow shoulders, legs covered at 40 cm above the ground.
In 1957, several months after appearing on the cover of Time magazine, Christian Dior traveled to Italy to vacation in the town of Montecatini. While there, on October 23, 1957, he suffered what was his third heart attack and died, at the age of 52.
Loading...