Rare Christian Dior "J'adore Dior" Handheld Fan
View Similar Items
Rare Christian Dior "J'adore Dior" Handheld Fan
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1990-1999
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Scottsdale, AZ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU16724836123
Christian Dior
When Christian Dior launched his couture house, in 1946, he wanted nothing less than to make “an elegant woman more beautiful and a beautiful woman more elegant.” He succeeded, and in doing so the visionary designer altered the landscape of 20th century fashion. Vintage Dior bags, shoes, evening dresses, shirts and other garments and accessories are known today for their feminine and sophisticated sensibility.
Dior was born in Granville, on the Normandy coast, in 1905. His prosperous haute bourgeois parents wanted him to become a diplomat despite his interest in art and architecture. However, they agreed to bankroll an art gallery, which Dior opened in 1928 in Paris with a friend.
This was the start of Dior’s rise in the city’s creative milieu, where he befriended Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. After seven years as an art dealer, Dior retrained as a fashion illustrator, eventually landing a job as a fashion designer for Robert Piguet, and in 1941, following a year of military service, he joined the house of Lucien Lelong. Just five years later, with the backing of industrialist Marcel Boussac, the ascendant Dior established his own fashion house, at 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Just two years after the end of World War II, the fashion crowd and the moribund haute couture industry were yearning, comme tout Paris, for security and prosperity, desperate to discard the drab, sexless, utilitarian garb imposed by wartime deprivation. They needed to dream anew.
And Dior delivered: He designed a collection for a bright, optimistic future. “It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian!” exclaimed Carmel Snow, the prescient American editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, famously proclaiming, “Your dresses have such a new look.” The press ran with the description, christening Dior’s debut Spring/Summer haute couture collection the New Look. “God help those who bought before they saw Dior,” said Snow. “This changes everything.”
Dior’s collection definitively declared that opulence, luxury and femininity were in. His skirts could have 40-meter-circumference hems, and outfits could weigh up to 60 pounds. They were cut and shaped like architecture, on strong foundations that molded women and “freed them from nature,” Dior said. Rather than rationing, his ladies wanted reams of fabric and 19-inch waists enforced by wire corsets, and the fashion world concurred. The debut got a standing ovation.
In the subsequent decade, Paris ruled as the undisputed fashion capital of the world, and Christian Dior reigned as its king. With the luxuriously full skirts of his New Look, suits and his drop-dead gorgeous couture dresses and ball gowns worthy of any princess, Dior gave women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of war.
On 1stDibs, find an exquisite range of vintage Christian Dior clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items.
- Gianni Versace 1990s Safety Pin SunglassesBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Scottsdale, AZYour new everyday sunglasses are here! Circa 1990s, these Gianni Versace sunglasses feature an oval shape with a frosted frame and green tinted lenses. Both arms include silver plate...Category
1990s Italian Sunglasses
- Gianni Versace 1990s Black Leather Medusa HatBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Scottsdale, AZAdd a touch of 90s Versace to your look with this amazing Gianni Versace hat! Circa early 1990s, this hat is crafted from ultra soft black leather and feat...Category
1990s Italian Hats
- Frank Oliver Leopard Print Trim HatBy Frank OliveLocated in Scottsdale, AZAdd to your collection with this adorable Frank Oliver hat! Circa late 20th century, this hat features a black felt top and a leopard print cowhide bri...Category
Late 20th Century American Hats
- Jean Lafont Black Rhinestone Cateye Eyeglasses, 1960sBy Jean LaFontLocated in Scottsdale, AZFeatured a beautiful and unique pair of Jean Lafont eyeglasses circa 1960s. These eyeglasses have a unquie feature you have the option of wearing the...Category
1960s French Sunglasses
- 1970s Alex & Lee Macramé Rope BeltBy Alex & LeeLocated in Scottsdale, AZThe Most Amazing Vintage Belt Is Here! Circa 1970s, this Alex & Lee macrame belt features various styles of multi-strand ropes and cords which are twisted...Category
1970s American Belts
- 1980s Amen Wardy Rhinestone Bow HatBy Amen WardyLocated in Scottsdale, AZThe Most Adorable 80s Hat Is Here! Made of black Wool, this wide brim derby hat features a unique slit in the brim and crown and is decorated with a rhineston...Category
1980s Unknown Hats
- Christian Dior Iconic Fan with LogosBy Christian DiorLocated in Hoffman Estates, ILExtremely rare Christian Dior fan in black and Pink. Made of fabric. Features beautiful Dior logos.Category
Early 2000s French Handheld Fans
- Midnight Black with Ivory Border "Raindrops" Cotton HandkerchiefLocated in New York, NYThis wonderfully elegant midnight black with ivory borders surrounding "Raindrops" men's cotton handkerchief accented with hand-rolled edges measures 17 1/2 inches by 17 1/2 i...Category
1990s Italian Handkerchiefs
- Christian Louboutin With My Guitar Donna 65 Boots Sz 41By Christian LouboutinLocated in Paradise Island, BSPresented in a slim silhouette, Christian Louboutin's With My Guitar Donna boots are set on a 65mm heel and detailed with rows of signature spikes along with panels of calfskin, sued...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
$971 Sale Price35% Off - ALEXANDER MCQUEEN black leather braided detail double wrap belt 80cmBy Alexander McQueen, Sarah BurtonLocated in Hong Kong, NTALEXANDER MCQUEEN black leather braided detail double wrap belt 80cm Reference: KEDG/A00256 Brand: Alexander McQueen Designer: Sarah Burton Material: ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Belts
- Gianvito Rossi Black Chester leather ankle boots Size 38.5By Gianvito RossiLocated in Amman, JOGianvito Rossi Black Chester leather ankle boots, Features elasticated sides closure, fabric and leather lining, leather insole, rubber sole and a round toe shape. Material: Calf Le...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
- Black "Chain-Link & Stones" Silk Handkerchief with Black BordersLocated in New York, NYElegant black silk handkerchief with "Chain-link & Stones" print surrounded by black borders, measures 13 inches by 13 inches. Edges are hand-rolled. Made in Italy.Category
1990s Italian Handkerchiefs
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Too Soon for the Return of ’90s Fashion? As If
There's a renewed appreciation for the era's aesthetic, perhaps most notably among millennials seeking authentic, easy style.
14 Iconic Luxury Handbags and the Stories behind Them
When the name of a bag is as well-known as its brand, you know it's a classic.