Christian Dior 1980's Black Velvet Dress With Pink Bottom
About the Item
- Designer:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3229222865682
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: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Chanel F/W 1990 Silk Strapless Dress with ShawlBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYFall/Winter 1990 Chanel Strapless Dress with matching Shawl in sapphire blue and black silk. The dress features a shelf bust strapless design wi...Category
1990s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- YSL Rive Gauche Fall 1987 Runway Navy Sequin Mini DressBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in New York, NYJaw dropping YSL Rive Gauche Fall 1987 Runway Dress. Stunning and sexy, this little dress encapsulates a time period where more is more! The beautiful navy blue sequins throughout the dress pick up light with movement and the off the shoulder ruffle detail adds a fun element to the look. Slightly sheer, the dress can be worn with black undergarments for an eye-catching look or with a strapless slip for a more conservative approach. This is a favorite in the Vintage Grace...Category
1980s Cocktail Dresses
- Chanel 2002 Mesh Navy Mini DressBy ChanelLocated in New York, NYChanel 2002 Mesh Navy Mini Dress. Stunning two piece ensemble that could also be worn as seperates, light weight mesh fabric in a sophisticated navy bl...Category
Early 2000s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Pierre Cardin Black Velvet Evening DressBy Pierre CardinLocated in New York, NYTruly a unique dress by the ever so talented Pierre Cardin. Dating back to the 1960s, this piece is thoughtfully designed with a beautiful black velvet bodice accompanied by a black ...Category
1960s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Chloé by Karl Lagerfeld Blue Long Sleeve Dress With Multi Color SequinBy ChloéLocated in New York, NYChloè by Karl Lagerfeld Blue Long Sleeve Dress With Multi Color Sequin. This dress is a sophisticated and elegant piece in a rich blue hue, with multicolor sequin adorned throughout....Category
1990s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Carolina Herrera 1980s Black Sequin Gown (Original Sample)By Carolina HerreraLocated in New York, NYThis Carolina Herrera 1980s gown is a true embodiment of extravagance and glamour. Caroline Herrara's designs carry the essence of elegance and luxury, making it onto various First L...Category
1980s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Chanel 13P Spring 2013 Wool Tweed Runway Sequins Faux Pearl Dress 38 NewBy ChanelLocated in Merced, CAChanel runway tweed sequins dress from Chanel spring 2013 runway dress adorned with Cc logo buttons and faux pearl.Category
Mid-20th Century French Shift Cocktail Dresses
- Multi Floral Chiffon GownBy Barbara TfankLocated in Los Angeles, CAEnchanting, delightful! From the Barbara Tfank Spring 2008 collection inspired by Anita Loos and “Screwball’ comedies, this delicate silk chiffon, portrait neckline gown comes in the...Category
Early 2000s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Carole Little 90s Ivory Lace Maxi DressBy Carole LittleLocated in Scottsdale, AZStep into classic elegance with the Carole Little 90s Ivory Lace Maxi Dress. This white lace masterpiece features a flattering scoop neck, adding a touch of timeless femininity to it...Category
1990s Korean Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Moschino Silk Contoured Hoop-Skirt GownBy MoschinoLocated in Scottsdale, AZThis gown will pull you in and intrigue you with all the curves and volume. This Moschino design is genius as the skirt has varying sizes of circular boning to fit to your own body's curves giving you a hyper-feminized silhouette. Featuring a full-length to add to the drama and a simple black color-way and tank-top style to let the bottom detail steal the show. The fabric is 100% silk. Make sure to pair this dress with dramatic earrings...Category
1990s Italian Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Azzedine Alaia black acetate knit figure hugging evening dress, A/W 1986By Azzedine AlaïaLocated in London, GB- Metal zip closure at the back - Figure hugging fit - Turtle neck Autumn-Winter 1986Category
1980s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Ralph Lauren black hand beaded evening dress, fw 2013By Ralph LaurenLocated in London, GB▪ Ralph Lauren Purple Label evening dress ▪ Sold by One of a Kind Archive ▪ Fall-Winter 2013 ▪ Constructed from black viscose jersey ▪ Thousands of hand-beaded black bugle beads ▪ P...Category
2010s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
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.