Christian Dior Numbered Demi Couture Little Black Cocktail Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 40.2 in (102.11 cm)Shoulder to Hem: 38.3 in (97.29 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Excellent condition. Looks hardly worn.
- Seller Location:Geneva, CH
- Reference Number:
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: Geneva, Switzerland
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Ungaro Ruched Faux Ostrich Cocktail Mini DressBy Emanuel UngaroLocated in Geneva, CHThis 80's Ungaro Parallèle cocktail dress is cut from – probably – black silk ? (the composition materiel tag is missing) that's ruched and ruffled to create a flattering faux ostric...Category
1980s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Miu Miu Embellished Cocktail Dress, Resort 2012By Miuccia Prada, Miu MiuLocated in Geneva, CHMiu Miu’s label has a retro-inspired style that is kept fresh with bold prints and sparkling embellishment. Made in Italy from soft crepe viscose, this 20’s silhouette cocktail dress...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Ted Lapidus Couture Halterneck Midi DressBy Ted LapidusLocated in Geneva, CHLet's embrace the 70's with this Ted Lapidus haute couture evening dress ! Constructed in black silk, this midi-length features a glamorous plunging halter-neckline, artfully embroid...Category
1970s French Summer Dresses
- Loris Azzaro Sequined One-Shoulder Evening DressBy Loris AzzaroLocated in Geneva, CHFavorite designer of celebrities and the jet set, Loris Azzaro defined the glamour of the 70’s. Based on the idea that woman’s body has to be free, Azzaro considered fashion closely ...Category
1970s French Evening Gowns
- Valentino Silk & Satin Cocktail DressBy ValentinoLocated in Geneva, CHSlightly naughty "little black dress". Silk chiffon accordion pleated skirt and sleeves, black silk satin wide belt and front buttons. Closure of the dress on the left side with a zi...Category
1980s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Thierry Mugler Draped & Fringed Cocktail Dress, Spring-Summer 1997By Thierry MuglerLocated in Geneva, CHBrilliantly constructed, this late 90s Thierry Mugler is a wonderful example of his work. Cut from soft black viscose, the dress is artfully draped and gathered to produce a wrapping...Category
1990s French Cocktail Dresses
- 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
- Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit bodycon dress and cardigan set, fw 1993By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace navy blue open-knit dress and cardigan 2 piece set ▪ Sleeveless bodycon maxi dress with lining ▪ Long-sleeve full-length cardigan ▪ Gold Medusa buttons ▪ Can be wo...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vivienne Westwood bronze stretch-velvet and gold foil printed dress, fw 1990By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Vivienne Westwood bronze stretch-velvet evening dress ▪ Gold foil neoclassical print inspired by Andre-Charles Boulle ▪ Concealed zipper at center-back ▪ Size Medium ▪ Fall-Winter...Category
1990s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 2000s Marc Jacobs Vintage Black Taffeta Open Back Punk Inspired Evening DressBy Marc JacobsLocated in Portland, ORThis is a great vintage Marc Jacobs evening dress from the early 2000's. The dress is in an elevated, rich black taffeta with an open back that clo...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses
- Azzedine Alaia F/W 1991 Vintage Bodycon Velvet Knit Black DressBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Naples, FLAzzedine Alaia F/W 1991 Vintage Bodycon Velvet Knit Black Dress Size M Alaïa heavy knit velvet dress with open knit trim throughout, V-neck, long sleeves ...Category
1990s Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Versace S/S 2016 Runway Embellished Cutout Sheer Panels Mini Evening DressBy VersaceLocated in Naples, FLVersace S/S 2016 Runway Embellished Cutout Sheer Panels Mini Evening Dress IT 40 Look 54 from the Spring 2016 Collection.Category
2010s 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.