Christian Dior Dress size 40
About the Item
- Designer:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Gazzaniga (BG), IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU58620438402
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Gazzaniga (BG), Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Hervé Léger Purple Stretch Dress LBy Herve LégerLocated in Gazzaniga (BG), ITIconic and very beautiful Herve Leger dress Rayon (90%) Nylon Stretch Purple color Zip on back Sleeveless Total length cm 97 (38,18 inches) Worldwide express shipping included in th...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Day Dresses
- Valentino Black Dress SBy ValentinoLocated in Gazzaniga (BG), ITChic lace dress by Valentino Viscose (83%) Polyester (17%) Black color Lace insert on top Short sleeves Maximum length cm 88 (34,64 inches) Total lenght (shoulder/hem) cm 82 (32,28 i...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Christopher Kane Rainbow Dress UK 12By Christopher KaneLocated in Gazzaniga (BG), ITBeautiful and iconic rainbow dress Insert: Silk (68%) Cotone Body: Wool (98%) Elasthane Black color with rainbow insert Sleeveless Maximum length cm 84 ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Bini Como Short sleeve dress size 44Located in Gazzaniga (BG), ITWool Grey fancyCategory
2010s Italian Casual Dresses
- Daniela Gerini Wool dress size 44Located in Gazzaniga (BG), ITWool Black color Sleeveless Live cut profile Total lenght shoulder/hem 118 cm (46.5 inches) Original price euro 1400Category
2010s Italian Casual Dresses
- Roberta di Camerino Long dress size 40By Roberta Di CamerinoLocated in Gazzaniga (BG), ITBlack color ModalCategory
2010s Italian Casual Dresses
- Oscar de la Renta Red, Black, & Ivory Cotton Sleeveless Tribal Print Dress - 8By Oscar De La RentaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLOscar de la Renta Red, Black, & Ivory Cotton Sleeveless Tribal Print Dress - 8. This adorable Oscar dress is in excellent condition. It features a lovely red, black, and ivory cott...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Vicky Tiel Eggplant Pleated Taffeta and Lace Dress - 46 - 1980'sBy Vicky TielLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThis Vicky Tiel dress is a stunning vintage piece with pleated silk taffeta on the skirt and sleeves. The bodice has lace and the bust has ruched fabric. The dress also has boning on...Category
1980s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Chanel Black Dress with Silk Chiffon Top and Tweed Skirt - 38By ChanelLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThis Chanel dress features a black silk chiffon sleeveless top and a black tweed skirt. The skirt has pockets and has a Chanel logo detail on it. This dress is in excellent condition...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Day Dresses
- Oscar de la Renta Charcoal Wool Sleeveless Shift Dress - LBy Oscar De La RentaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThis Oscar de la Renta wool shift dress is a charcoal color. It is sleeveless and has a cutout in the front. This dress is in excellent condition. Measurements Bust: 39" Waist: 36" ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Day Dresses
- Chanel Navy Cotton Eyelet Wrap Dress - Sz 42 - 07P CollectionBy ChanelLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChanel Navy Cotton Eyelet Wrap Dress - Sz 42 - 07P Chanel ID Collection. This perfect Chanel navy eyelet summer dress is lined in cotton, the wrap dress has short sleeves with an ela...Category
Early 2000s French Casual Dresses
- 1980s Issey Miyake Plantation Dress in Black Wool in Iconic Tent StyleBy Issey Miyake Plantation, Issey MiyakeLocated in Portland, ORThis is a truly iconic vintage 1980's Issey Miyake tent mock turtleneck dress in his signature style in a lightweight black wool crepe. The dress has long sleeves and buttons at the ...Category
1980s Hong Kong Day Dresses
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.