Although his family were diplomats, he wanted to be an architect: Who is Christian Dior?
Born in 1905 in a small seaside town called Granville, France, Dior determined his route at a young age. Even though his family wanted him to be a diplomat, he never compromised on his love for fashion and his talent.
Dior, which went down in history as The New Look with the 90-piece collection named Corolle and Huit, created shortly after establishing its own brand, continues its journey with firm steps with new names that carry its legacy. We have brought together 10 pieces of information about Dior, which has not abandoned its elegant codes, which many stars continue to wear from past to present, and whose roots we can reach thanks to the stories inspired by the current creative director of the brand, Maria Grazia Chiuri.
Christian Ernest Dior (21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE. His fashion houses are known all around the world, having gained prominence "on five continents in only a decade."
Since Christian Dior never gave up his passion for fashion, he combined his talent with a little entrepreneurial spirit and made fashion sketches that he sold for 10 cents each during his student years.
After leaving school, he sold works, including Pablo Picasso's works, with his friend at an art gallery that his father bought for him.
In 1942, he worked as chief designer alongside Pierre Balmain for couturier Lucien Long.
Christian Dior's interest in tarot increased after his sister disappeared in World War II. Maria Grazia Chiuri, the creative director of the brand, told us this story with the 2021 Spring/Summer Couture collection.
Dior named the perfume he released in 1947 "Miss Dior" after his sister.
Although Christian Dior opened his first fashion house in 1946, his real beginnings date back to 1947, when he presented his first collection of 90 pieces.
1947 is also the year when Dior made The New Look into fashion history with his iconic Bar jacket and A skirt form.
Christian Dior was also a superstitious designer. That's why he included a jacket bearing the name of his birthplace, Granville, in every collection, as he believed it brought luck, and at least one model would carry his favorite flower, the lily flower, during the fashion show.
In 1949, Dior became the first couturier to prepare licensed production of his designs. Although this situation was criticized, it opened a new path for many fashion houses.
When he passed away in 1957, 2,500 people, including the Duchess of Windsor, attended the designer's funeral. 21-year-old Yves Saint Laurent started a new era by becoming the head of the fashion house.
Details
Christian Dior; He was born in a coastal town called Granville, located in the Normandy region of northern France. His family was an industrialist who produced fertilizer and was a very wealthy family. After completing his primary and secondary education, he studied 'political sciences' at a school that trained personnel for diplomatic services, but he dreamed of becoming an architect.
After his university education, he opened an art gallery in Paris with the capital given by his father. When his father's company and factory went bankrupt as a result of the economic crisis that broke out in the world in 1931, Christian Dior had to close his gallery. During this period, he first made a living by drawing hat models for 'Le Figaro magazine and later by drawing sketches for Paris fashion houses.