Christian Dior

Christian Dior is one of the brightest stars in the fashion world in the history of mankind. For half a century, his legacy - the Christian Dior fashion house - has lived without him, but the brand's collections still correspond to the highest level declared by the once great couturier. How did the biography of the fashion master develop, what milestones in the history of the house of Dior have changed the lives of all fashionistas, and what are the main discoveries in the design of women's clothing made by Christian?

It is hardly an exaggeration to say that fashion as it exists today is largely due to the hard work of Christian Dior. This man was in love with fashion, and therefore he devoted his whole life to it, thanks to which today in the everyday life of stylish women there are a lot of things that cannot be done without.

Nowadays there is not a single person who is unfamiliar with the name of the great couturier. However, Christian made a difficult path to recognition and fame, and during his lifetime he managed to taste success only for several years.

Christian Dior was born on January 21, 1905 into a large family, in the tiny town of Granville, located in the north of France, right in the port on the English Channel. It was a very successful family: the father managed to become a successful businessman, the mother took care of her five children (Christian was the second in a row).And when the boy was only 6 years old, his parents were able to move straight to the capital. This was Dior's first, as yet unconscious, step towards the cause of his life.

Christian has been a dreamer since childhood. From a young age, the boy was fond of painting, practiced a lot and even thought about a career as an artist. Parents persistently tried to draw the attention of their offspring to more practical activities - business, politics, diplomacy. But they did not succeed: although, under the onslaught of his ancestors, Christian Dior entered the Free School of Political Science, this did not affect his career plans.

So, at the age of 23, Dior, together with his friend Jean Bonjac, acquired an art gallery. Young entrepreneurs had at their disposal works by authors who are known all over the world today: Picasso, Matisse - if properly promoted, this gallery would become a very profitable business, but it took time. Unfortunately, fate decreed that Dior and Bonjark did not have time.

In just three years, young enthusiasts managed to play as the owners of an art gallery. In 1931, a fatal illness took away Christian's mother, and after his beloved wife, his father also died out, shortly before that he was completely ruined. Dior had to get rid of the gallery and return from heaven to earth.

After the failures of his youth in search of his place in this world, Dior went to the army, where he served for several years. Returning to civilian life at an already respectable age - about 40 years old - Dior looked around and realized that many of his acquaintances had significantly succeeded in the fashion world. However, by a lucky will of chance, among friends from this sphere, there were people who helped Dior to be at the right time in the right place.

The culprit of the fateful meeting was Dior's childhood friend, Pierre Balmain. At the time when Christian had just returned from the war, Pierre already had his own prosperous fashion house and a lot of useful contacts. It was Balmain who advised Dior as an artist to one of the fabulously wealthy entrepreneurs.

The manufacturer Marcel Boussac, who made a fortune in textiles, was looking for a talented artist for his fashion house at the time. It is not known for certain how the first period of cooperation between Dior and Bussac passed; it is not documented what exactly conquered the entrepreneur in an unknown artist. However, under the auspices of Marcel Boussac, very soon this very artist had his own fashion house.

As a designer of women's clothing, Christian Dior gained wings and began to create, like the little dreamy boy he was as a child. Thanks to Dior, beauty and luxury again became popular in post-war Europe, the joy of life returned to men and women, and to Paris - the honorary title of the world capital of fashion. The maestro has been dead for many years, and now it is especially important to preserve the history of the creation of legendary items from Dior, so that the traditions of this amazing brand are passed on from generation to generation.

In 1941, Christian began his career in the world of big fashion. He got a job as an artist at the famous Parisian Fashion House Lucien Lelong. The next year, Dior opened his own perfume laboratory - over the years it will grow into the world famous Christian Dior Perfume company.

But the history of the great brand began its chronicle only in 1946. October 8 is the day Christian Dior founded a fashion brand under his own name. The first ten years of the brand's existence are the last years of the life of the great master.

• February 12, 1947. The first Dior collection, New Look, was shown at a major show in Paris and revolutionized the fashion world.

• The year is 1948. A memorable trip to America took place, where Dior was awarded the prestigious prize for his contribution to the art of the fashion designer.

• 1950-1951 years. The innovative collections of the House of Dior were released one after another: Vertical, Oblique, Oval, Longue.

• 1952 year. The London office of the Christian Dior brand has been opened.

• 1953 year. The Dior Delman footwear division appeared, sketches for which were provided by the renowned master of his craft - Roger Vivier.

• 1954 year. Dior received a license to tailor lingerie. In the same year, the brand continued to conquer the world: Dior offices opened in Mexico City, Caracas, Australia, Chile and Cuba.

• 1955 year. The Fashion House has its own line of bijoux jewelry.

• 1956-1957 years. The latest bright collections, created with the participation of Christian Dior, have come out - Arrow, Aimant, H and Libre.

• October 24, 1957. While at a health resort, Christian Dior died suddenly of a heart attack. He was only 52 years old, but he managed to change the whole world, and his legacy still lives on.

For several decades that the brand has existed without its founder, many famous couturiers stood at the helm of the Fashion House. The reign of some of them was a continuation of the traditions laid down by Christian. Others almost completely buried his ideas and redesigned Dior almost beyond recognition.

The young fashion designer joined the company back in 1953. Dior immediately noticed the talent of Saint Laurent, and from 1955 until the very death of Christian, the young man was his assistant. Yves Saint Laurent presented his first collection for Dior as the brand's chief designer in 1958. It was called "Trapeze" and was distinguished by its focus on younger women.

This made Dior completely different from the brand it was with the creator. It was under Saint Laurent, in 1959, that Dior clothes were first seen by residents of Soviet Moscow at a show at the Wings of the Soviets culture house.

However, the success was no less loud, because the collections of Saint Laurent breathed freshness and youth. In 1960, the "Hipster" collection came out, the name speaks for the components of this line: cropped motorcycle jackets, classic suits worn on turtlenecks instead of shirts ... Investors of the Fashion House were frightened by the avant-garde mood of Yves Saint Laurent, and he was quickly dismissed from the position of chief designer of Dior ...

It is difficult to understand why not all of the changes in the brand's concept scared those who invested in Dior. So, since 1961, for 28 years in a row, the creation of Christian Dior was mercilessly reshaped for himself by another ambitious fashion designer - Mark Boan. The designer decided to abandon the luxury and splendor that previously featured in Christian Dior clothing. Bohan's main principle was to create clothes "... for real women, and not for themselves, not for mannequins and not for fashion magazines."

In 1970-1980 the Christian Dior Monsieur line was produced. The collections of this era were distinguished by simplicity and lightness, it was a new "chic luxury" - an attractive trend from Dior. It was in a sense a successful time, because the main admirers of the brand were Hollywood beauties: Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, Mia Farrow. However, on the whole, the brand failed: a change in the main concept led to the fact that public interest in Dior faded, the brand's shows began to collect negligible viewers.

They tried to resign Marc Boan back in 1984, it was then that Ferre first received an offer to take a leading position at Dior, but for some reason the virtuoso Italian designer refused. The second time, in 1989, Gianfranco nevertheless accepted this offer.

However, the fashion designer was not very happy with this success. In 1996, Ferré left his post at Dior to devote himself to work on a brand with his own name.

Ferre was replaced by a young and very promising British fashion designer John Galliano. This was the beginning of another, new round in the history and style of Dior. The era of glamor began with the first Misia Diva collection.The brand is more vibrant, avant-garde and theatrical than ever, and most importantly, it has become incredibly successful commercially. Celebrities again began to appear in Dior outfits on the red carpet, the faces of the brand during the years of Galliano's reign were Charlize Theron, Monica Bellucci, Sharon Stone, Marion Cotillard, Gisele Bündchen.

Dior collections during Galliano's time were romantic, feminine and extravagant. The designer used only luxurious materials: velvet, satin and brocade were lavishly decorated with fringes, stones, frills and embroidery. It was Galliano who opened the first Dior store in Moscow (1997). Unfortunately, such a talented creator turned out to be somewhat arrogant, like many creative personalities. On March 1, 2011, the management of the company fired John Galliano as chief designer of Dior in connection with the scandal that erupted over the anti-Semitic public behavior of the fashion designer.

Hedi Slimane, widely known in France, was responsible for Dior men's collections from 2000 to 2007. He is remembered for his sophisticated silhouettes and introduced a lot of innovations to the masculine style. He worked so little at the Fashion House because he was afraid to become a hostage to someone else's name. Hedi Slimane very soon switched to promoting his own label.

The next flamboyant creative director whose brand management has left a noticeable mark on history is Raf Simons. He became the head of the company in 2011 and held this post until October 2015. Shoes became the main "feature" of Simons: latex boots and haute couture sneakers - his most striking hits.

In June 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri, who previously headed the Valentino Fashion House, took over as Creative Director of Dior. For some time before her arrival, after Raf Simons, various young and talented designers were at the helm, including Lucy Meyer and Serge Rufier.

• 1947 - New Look - Christian Dior. This collection brought fashion to the hourglass silhouette: rounded hips, sloping shoulders and wasp waist have become the personification of true femininity forever. An elegant miniature handbag, shoes with narrow and pointed toes, and, for the finishing touch, a fluffy hairdo or wide-brimmed hat.

• 1957 - "Trapezium" - Yves Saint Laurent. With a geometric silhouette, straight lines and an unusually short length, the fashion prodigy has left his indelible mark on history forever.

• 1966 - Doctor Zhivago - Mark Boan. The collection based on the film was remembered for long coats with fur collars and wide belts.

• 1989 - Spring / Summer - Gianfranco Ferre. The unique collection won the prestigious Golden Thimble award for the Italian fashion designer.

• 1996 - Misia Diva - John Galliano. From his very first collection, the couturier strove to reflect ethnic motives and culture of peoples of different countries in clothing.

• 2004 - Spring / Summer - John Galliano. The shine of gold and stones, the collection is imbued with the theme of Ancient Egypt.

• 2013 - fall / winter 2013-2014 - Raf Simons. In this collection, the designer demonstrated his vision of the new look silhouette, while not changing his beloved minimalism and playing with bright colors to his heart's content.

In today's Dior collections, there is a restrained and slightly modern expression of the style that was laid down in the brand by Christian Dior. The lines for women and men are filled with elegant and eye-catching pieces. For example, the spring / summer 2017 collection was dedicated to fashion classics of the twentieth century, and therefore in it you can find all the characteristic features of the "textbook" Dior.

A branded accessory from a renowned brand is the object of desire of any modern fashionista. A miniature clutch costs fabulous money, but still women all over the world are striving to acquire at least one such thing. Most popular models:

• New lady with butterflies;

• Miss Dior;

• Open bar;

• Diorama;

• Diorissimo;

• Mini;

• Lady Dior.

The latest model was specially designed for Princess Diana.Each of the listed varieties is considered classic today, does not lose its relevance and is appropriate both in everyday and in evening looks.

The brand produces both classic pumps and excellent sports shoes (sneakers, sneakers, sneakers), as well as trendy mules, all kinds of sandals, flat-soled models and, of course, boots.

The first perfume released by Christian in 1947 is Miss Dior. Created around the scent of lilies of the valley, Dior's mother's favorite flowers. He made a splash in the world of perfumery, and still the perfume of this brand is in the top five on the planet.

The most popular fragrances for representatives of the strong half of humanity:

• Fahrenheit;
• Sauvage;
• Higher Energy;
• Homme.

Of course, significantly less iconic Dior perfumes have been created for men than for women.

In addition to the first, which became revolutionary, there are many other popular fragrances:

• J'adore;
• Diorissimo;
• Addict;
• Dune;
• Dolce Vita;
• Midnight Poison;
• Blooming Bouquet;
• Dioressence;
• Forever and Ever;
• Hypnotic Poison.

Dior cosmetics, both decorative and skin care products, are equally popular among women around the world. High-quality “inhabitants” of ladies' cosmetic bags are produced under the renowned brand:

• shadows (5 colors);
• powder;
• pomade;
• lip gloss;
• mascara;
• tone cream;
• nail polish;
• makeup brushes;
• blush.

Among the care products, Dior's lip balms, eye creams and gels, for the face, and Capture Totale wrinkle filler are especially in demand.

The silhouette of a new look, pumps, Miss Dior scent ... To complete this line from the arsenal of "female weapons" only the red lipstick Rouge Dior. Christian Dior released this legendary thing in 1949. At first it was a limited edition for VIP clients: not for sale, but as a gift.

Incredibly bright and seductive lipstick adorned the lips of Bette Davis in All About Eve, as well as the lips of Marlene Dietrich in Alfred Hitchcock's Fear of the Stage. After the incredible success not only of the films themselves, but also of the appearance of their heroines (and here the lips played no less, and maybe even a big role), Dior began to work on the mass release of his seductive lipstick.

The first Rouge Dior collection consisted of 8 shades that perfectly matched or even completely repeated the red shades of couture fabrics from this year's collection. Today, the palette of the legendary lipstick has several dozen shades.

The main advantage of Dior jewelry, be it earrings or sunglasses, is the decoration of each piece with iridescent stones from rhinestone. Dior discovered the effect of such a decorative technique with Swarovski back in 1955. Today Victoria de Castellane is responsible for the creation of the brand's unique jewelry.

The first model was released in 1975 and was called the Black Moon. Today the brand produces several lines of watches, each of which contains dozens of different models. The most popular line is Dior VIII (with Dior's lucky number). Casual, evening and cocktail watches are created in this collection. The face of the advertising campaign is actress Charlize Theron.

Christian Dior's name is not only immortalized in his brand. The fashion designer is considered a real legend and creator of world fashion; films and books are written about him. By the way, the master himself published his autobiography "Dior on Dior" in 1956. And two years earlier, another book by the fashion designer was published for the first time - “Dior. Dictionary of Fashion ".

The autobiography tells in detail the entire history of the formation of the great couturier. And in his dictionary, Dior shares with women the simple secrets of elegance. Most of his style recommendations are still valid today.

Among the books written about Dior by other people, it is worth noting “Christian Dior. The biography "(Marie-France Pokna) and" Dior Glamor: 1952-1962 "(Mark Shaw).In 2005, director Philippe Lanfranchy released the documentary "Christian Dior - The Legendary Man", which immerses the viewer in the atmosphere surrounding the great creator, showing the world of the legendary fashion designer from the inside.

But the main repository of memory of Christian Dior should be called the museum, located in the master's father's house - on the estate in Granville.

It recreates the interiors in which Christian's family lived, presents some personal belongings of the famous designer, and, of course, it regularly hosts retrospective exhibitions of the brand.

It would seem, who is more subtly able to feel a woman's soul than a master who dresses her in stunning dresses, puts on her seductive shoes and envelops her in seductive aromas? But Christian, who exalted a woman to heaven, by the evil fate of fate did not have the opportunity to love a woman in the full sense of the word.

The designer has never found family happiness in his entire life. All the fault is unconventional orientation, about which, of course, Dior did not spread, but this was clear to those close to him. They began to speak openly about this many years after the death of the master. In many ways, the discovery of this fact was facilitated by the appearance at Dior of John Galliano, who not only did not hide his orientation, but also actively exaggerated this topic.

• Christian Dior became the first fashion designer to license his inventions to the fashion world. He sold the right to place the Dior brand name, which in his time was a curiosity, but today is the norm.

• Dior was a terribly superstitious person, so he always followed the same laws: at every show at least one model paraded with a bouquet of lilies of the valley - the favorite flowers of Christian's mother; before the start of each show, the fashion designer always read the tarot cards; Each Dior collection included a coat named after the couturier's hometown of Granville.

• Architecture inspired the designer the most: he used a variety of techniques to create unique outfits that accentuated the chest and hips.

• Dior brought the corset back into fashion, he was convinced that "there is no fashion without a corset."

• An ardent opponent of corsets, Coco Chanel was negatively disposed towards Dior's creations.She stated that his first collection was "the ultimate fashion horror of the late 1940s."

• Dior was the first to design stage sets, bringing elements of theatricality to fashion. It was Dior who created the tradition of designing the catwalk in such a way that he emphasized the character of the collection on display.

• Dior's favorite muses were three models: Rene, Cook and Russian girl Alla Ilchun. The last model has worked in the modeling business for a record 20 years. During this time, her waist has increased by only 2 centimeters (from 47 to 49).

A cropped, tight-fitting model with a peplum at the waist was sewn, as a rule, of satin or silk. Unwittingly, Dior created an alternative to the little black Chanel dress in the form of its complete opposite - these were cocktail suits that were simply adored by many ladies in the 40-50s. For cocktails, the bar jacket should have been worn with tight trousers or another Christian invention ...

The style fully reflects Dior's irresistible craving for architectural cut. According to the designer, the ideal match for this masterpiece was one of two options: a cocktail jacket or a tight-fitting top.

The relatively loose fit made this style a favorite of absolutely all women. Both thin Twiggy and the more feminine Jacqueline Kennedy could show off in an A-shaped dress.

Long crinoline skirts to the floor, richly gathered at the waist, captivated women of fashion with their practicality: they never wrinkled, which means they looked great, no matter what happened. The designer recommended wearing them exclusively with tight tops decorated with a deep neckline.

Dior's desire to glorify his brand has resulted in large company logos on clothing and accessories. One of the sharpest trends, which has not lost its relevance today, has become a branded belt with a buckle in the form of the name of the Fashion House.

Shortly before his sudden death, Dior managed to give the world another masterpiece: in August 1957, the 52-year-old designer demonstrated a golden bra at his show. It looked more like a modern corset with a belt and elastic bands, was hand-sewn from white lace and richly decorated with gold threads.

In 1947, Christian Dior conquered not only the world of fashion, but also the world of cinema. According to legend, during the filming of that very film "Stage Fear" the leading actress (Marlene Dietrich) set a strict condition for the director (Alfred Hitchcock) that she would only act in costumes made by her favorite fashion designer: "No Dior - no Dietrich!" ...

Since then, all the most prestigious actresses in Europe and Hollywood have appeared in films and in life in outfits from Dior: Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor, Isabelle Adjani and Bette Davis. Even the young and still unknown Brigitte Bardot, a student of a ballet school and an aspiring fashion model, having once tried on Christian Dior dresses, carried the love of these luxurious outfits through her entire life.

Times have changed, and the age of capitalism has led to the fact that famous actresses began to appear in the outfits of an expensive brand, not only and not so much in the movies, but more and more in commercials. But these trends of the century of high technologies only made the Hollywood beauties closer to the creations of the Fashion House. Dior's new muses are the heroines of their time: Charlize Theron, Marion Cotillard, Natalie Portman. Chosen once, world-renowned beauties have embodied the luxury brand for years and even decades.