1970s Christian Dior Black and Silver Lame Skirt Suit (4 pieces)
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 4,6,8 (US)Bust: 40 in (101.6 cm)Waist: 34 in (86.36 cm)Hip: 45 in (114.3 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU55018501972
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- 1990s Yves Saint Laurent Navy Blazer Skirt SuitBy Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in London, GBYves Saint Laurent navy skirt suit, most probably from the spring / summer 1995 ready to wear collection. We have referenced an almost identical suit ...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- 2015 Chanel Black Boucle Wool and Gripoix Dress SuitBy ChanelLocated in London, GBThis fabulous 2015 Fall/Winter Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld black dress suit has a contemporary feel while still retaining the classic signatures of Chanel t...Category
2010s British Dress and Coat Ensembles
- 1960s Black and Red Polka Dot Demi Couture Dress and JacketLocated in London, GBThis 1960s red and black polka dot American demi-couture ensemble is in beautiful vintage condition and of excellent quality; however, is unlabelled and so the designer remains unkno...Category
1960s American Dress and Coat Ensembles
- 1950’s Black Silk Couture Fitted Evening Pencil Skirt and Top SetLocated in London, GBFabulous 1950’s couture but unlabelled evening ensemble consisting of a black silk asymmetrical top with multiple spaghetti straps and a full-length pencil skirt. The top features ...Category
1950s American Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- 1970s Elissa Pleated Cotton Maxi Skirt and Floral Top SetLocated in London, GBThis lovely 1970s pleated cotton outfit from American brand/ Elissa is made up of two separates along with a matching floral fabric tie belt to draw in the waist. The ankle length sk...Category
1970s American Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Yves Saint Laurent 1970s Black Silk Jersey Two Piece SuitBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in London, GBThis elegant Yves Saint Laurent Circa 1974 black silk jersey two piece suit would lend itself effortlessly to both formal occasion wear and to evening wear. The simple lines of this ...Category
1970s French Twin Sets
- Chanel 1980's Navy Cotton Cinched Waist Jacket Skirt Suit - Size 38By ChanelLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChanel Navy Cotton Jacket and Skirt Suit with Cinched Waist - Size 38 - 1980's. This set is a very unique Chanel look and truly a collectible piece. The straight skirt has a a waistb...Category
1980s French Skirt Suits
- Oscar de la Renta Black Velvet Skirt Suit with White Embroidery - 10 - 1990sBy Oscar De La RentaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLOscar de la Renta Black Velvet Skirt Suit with White Embroidery - 10 - 1990s. This skirt suit is in excellent vintage condition with light wear to the velvet and embroidery. The jack...Category
1990s American Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- 2001 Chanel Black wool with Silk Ribbon Sash & Bow Jacket & Skirt SuitBy Chanel Boutique, ChanelLocated in Los Angeles, CABlack wool jacket with hidden button placket at left side, with cross body black silk satin ribbon adorned with gold elephant embossed Chanel Paris b...Category
Early 2000s French Skirt Suits
- Navy blue rayon jersey ensemble Circa 1940's A Dupont ORLONLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRNavy blue rayon jersey ensemble. No lining. Elastic waist on the skirt.Gros grain on the button placket (inside) and the collar SIZE MCategory
1940s American Skirt Suits
- Krizia vintage coins SuitLocated in Carnate, ITKrizia Suit. jacket plus pants. in wool. coins/paillettes as decoration. Italian size 46. the jacket shoulders 46 cm bust 52cm waist 48 cm length 71 cm sleeve 68 cm trousers waist 44...Category
Late 20th Century Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Night blue silk velvet cocktail skit-suit with rhinestone buttons Circa 1960'sLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRNight blue silk velvet cocktail skit-suit with rhinestone decorative buttons in the middle front. Cut work and ruffle on the waist of the jacket. Blue and purple rayon lining. raglan...Category
1960s French Skirt Suits
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.