The History of DIOR✨

Where and when Christian Dior Began

The iconic French designer brand dates back to the 1940s. At first Christian Dior worked under another designer, Robert Pigurt followed by Lucien Lelong. Eventually, Dior was ready to showcase his own work which let to the empire fashion house in 1946 on 30 Avenue Montaigne.

Shortly after Dior went international. However, despite its quick rise to success, Christian Dior started out as an Art Gallerist in 1928. Sadly the gallery closed during the Great Depression.

The first Dior boutique was established in 1954 at 9 Counduit Street. The brand was so successful that a Dior fashion show was held at the Blenheim Palace in 1954 in honor for Princess Margaret & the Duchess of Marlborough. It didn’t take long for Dior to launch its first show the “New Look” designed to portray the end of WWII. The line included structured silhouettes, cinched waists & shorter, billowy skirts.

The Bar suit, Spring/Summer 1947 Haute Couture collection.

Spring/Summer 1947 Collection

Dior’s designs were considered revolutionary for the time period and quickly earned the brand the position as one of the most sought after brands.

Dior’s Expansion

Soon after in 1948, Dior moved west, entering the states for the first time opening a store on Fifth Avenue & 57th Street in New York City.

Alongside the physical expansion, Dior, expanded the collection as well, introducing fragrance, Miss Dior, which was dedicated to his sister. Alongside the fragrance, accessories such as coats, hats, shoes, and other pieces where released.

As the brand continued to grow, Dior went on to dress the biggest stars of the time.

Partnership with Yves Saint Laurent

The fresh French face of Saint Laurent at just 19 years old, caught the interest of Dior. Starting off as an assistant, it wasn’t long till the creative mind behind the empire noticed the creative mind in the young artist.

A curious encounter happened in 1957 when Dior met Saint Laurent’s mother to inform her that her son would someday succeed him.

Yves St. Laurent and models outside the Dior salon in Mayfair, London

Christian Dior’s Death

The streak of luck suddenly fell in 1957 when Dior died of a massive heart attack [age 52]. The industry grieved his departure. As previously established, the 21 year old [Saint Laurent] took over as artistic director of the brand, and carried on Dior’s astonishing legacy, not straying away from the original creative vision, while still modernizing the looks. Eventually, Laurent was called to serve in the French army in 1960, releasing him from the brand.

The Journey of the brand

After Yves Saint Laurant’s Departure [1957-1960], the brand went on to have multiple creative directors throughout the years including, Marc Bohan [1960-1989], who further alined the designs with Christian Dior’s classic vision and helped it become more accessible then ever, pushing Dior to the top of the fashion world.

As well as Bernard Arnault, who later purchased the brand after the Boussac Group [Dior’s parent company] filed for bankruptcy, and assumed the roles of chairman, CEO, and managing director, helping the brand in a new direction after hiring Gianfranco Ferre [1989-1996] as stylistic director, who later evaluated the brand when he founded one of Dior’s most vital arms.

Further down the line John Galliano [1996-2011] took over as creative director and led the brand to dress the most prestigious of individuals, including Princess Diana of Wales. Princess Diana had particularly fancied the leather “Lady Dior” bag. She helped Dior gain even more popularity expanding Dior’s leather goods. Galliano later left the label under a cloud after being fired for making antisemitic statements in a video taken on a drunken night out.

After Galliano left, the brand’s design team was temporarily taken over by his deputy, Bill Gaytten [2011-2012]. Despite having a close relationship with John Galliano, he cut all ties with him after the scandal. Gaytten’s style included an excessive use of transparent materials, causing backlash from the public due to the similarities to Galluano’s designs.

Raf Simons [2012-2015], taking over as artistic director of the Haute Couture of Accessories. He wanted to push away from Galliano ad make his creations personal and individualized. Under his guidance, the sales of the holidays grew by 60%. However, he resigned for personal reasons in 2015.

Dior changes history in 2016 when the empire hired its FIRST female artistic director names Maris Garzia Chiuri [2016-present], after a big debate around who would take over. Having formally come from creative directing Valentino, she has the experience and intelligence to run the brand effortlessly. She combines both feminine and masculine silhouettes into her designs, portraying hey Feminist views.

And with that, Christian Dior's original message of female empowerment still resonates with today's women, as demonstrated by Chiuri, some 70 years later.