Dior, Christian (krēstyäN` dē-ôr`), 1905–57, French fashion designer. He established his main house of couture in Paris (1946) and by 1958 had salons in 15 countries employing more than 2,000 people. Known particularly for the "New Look" of 1947 (narrow shoulders, constricted waist, emphasized bust, and long, wide skirt), his designs were nonfunctional but enormously popular in the postwar era. He created the short, waistless sack dress (early 1950s) and introduced the A-line dress (1956). His designs represented consistent classic elegance, stressing the feminine look. The Dior tradition of beautiful fabrics led to the creation of international merchandising labels for gloves, furs, and jewelry. Since the death of Dior, the firm continued under Yves St. Laurent, Marc Bohan, and Gianfranco Ferre.
(born Jan. 21, 1905, Granville, France—died Oct. 24, 1957, Montecatini, Italy) French fashion designer. He trained for the French diplomatic service, but in the financial crisis of the 1930s he began illustrating fashions for a weekly periodical. In 1942 he joined the house of the Parisian designer Lucien Lelong. In 1947 he introduced his revolutionary “New Look,” which featured small shoulders, a natural waistline, and a voluminous skirt, a drastic change from the World War II look of padded shoulders and short skirts. In the 1950s the “sack,” or “H” line, became the characteristic silhouette of his designs. He was instrumental in commercializing Parisian fashion on a worldwide scale.
Bibliography
See his autobiography (1957).
Dior, Christian
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Christian Dior, 1957.
(credit: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.)
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