Christian Dior Paris Little Black Dress in Cashmere Silk Blend w Leather Ruffle
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: FR 42 Dress has stretch (EU)Bust: 38 in (96.52 cm)Waist: 28 in (71.12 cm)Hip: 38 in (96.52 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Portland, OR
- 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: Beaverton, OR
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Vintage Carolina Herrera Pleated Wool Crepe Dress Pleated Black & Yellow SilkBy Carolina HerreraLocated in Portland, ORThis is a really lovely vintage dress from Carolina Herrera in black wool crepe with gorgeous marigold yellow pleated silk at the neckline and the waist. This dress zips up the back ...Category
1980s American Informal Dresses
- Oscar de la Renta Autumn Winter 2010 Black Wool Asymmetrical Runway DressBy Oscar De La RentaLocated in Portland, ORThis is a black wool long sleeve dress w/ colorful cuff buttons and asymmetrical seams documented from the Oscar de la Renta Fall/Winter 2010 collection. We love this understated dre...Category
2010s Italian Day Dresses
- Chanel Fall 2015 Black Wool Boucle and Silk Short Sleeve Dress W Gripoix ButtonsBy Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in Portland, ORThis is a lovely Chanel Fall 2015 dress in black bouclé wool and silk. The body of the dress is in bouclé wool and black silk satin is found at the hem and ...Category
2010s French Evening Dresses
- Adele Simpson Vintage Black Crepe Dress With Dramatic Satin DrapeBy Adele SimpsonLocated in Portland, ORThis 1980s little black dress by Adele Simpson has a gorgeous drape across each shoulder! It has long raglan sleeves with shoulder pads for structure, and two pieces of satin startin...Category
1980s European Day Dresses
- Deadstock Wayne Clark Couture Vintage Wool 1980s Dress New With Original TagsBy Wayne ClarkLocated in Portland, ORThis dress is very hard to capture in photographs, but it is a stunning vintage wool Wayne Clark dress with a full skirt and a cinched waist. The dress has buttons down the front an...Category
1980s Unknown Day Dresses
- 1993 Christian Lacroix Vintage Midnight Blue Dress W/ White Soutache EmbroideryBy Christian LacroixLocated in Portland, ORThis is a stunning vintage Christian Lacroix sleeveless dress in a rich denim or midnight blue linen rayon blend. The dress has gorgeous white soutache style embroidery and two functional front pockets. The dress closes with a hook and eye above metal zipper that extends down the center back seam. There is metal waist "boning" down each seam with 4 total and the dress is fully lined. Estimated size: XS and Made in France and labeled a French size 34. Christian Lacroix pink label...Category
1990s French Day Dresses
- S/S 1998 Gucci by Tom Ford G Buckle Purple Knit Sleeveless Cutout DressBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting two-in-one, this dress can be worn with either an exposed back or a plunging neckline. Sexy and versatile, this dress represents one of Tom Ford's most popular and iconic ...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- S/S 1998 Gucci by Tom Ford Leather Strap Black Knit Runway DressBy Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a form-fitting knit Gucci dress, designed by Tom Ford. This dress debuted on the Spring/Summer 1998 runway as look 5. Constructed of black knit viscose, this long sleeve d...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- S/S 2002 Gucci by Tom Ford Knit Hook Closure Runway Black Knit Dress SetBy Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a slinky hook and eye closure accented sweater dress set designed by Tom Ford for Gucci's Spring/Summer 2002 collection. This set debuted as look number 23 on Erin Wasson on the Spring/Summer 2002 runway and was seen on Debra Messing at the 2002 Screen Actor's Guild Awards and in the March 2002 issue of L'Uomo Vogue...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Mid-Late 1990s Gianni Versace Couture Black Dropped Hem Bias-Cut Wiggle Gown LBDBy Gianni Versace Couture, Gianni VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a vintage midi Gianni Versace dress, designed by Gianni Versace. This is the little black dress your wardrobe is missing. Simple and classy, th...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- F/W 1991 Gianni Versace Couture Runway Black Stretch Bouclé Wool Mini Dress LBDBy Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a runway-ready little black dress designed by Gianni Versace for his iconic Fall/Winter 1991 collection. This piece debuted as runway look number 27 on Marpessa Hennink an...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- S/S 1996 Gianni Versace Couture Rhinestone Black Silver Medusa Sleeveless DressBy Gianni Versace Couture, Gianni VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a black sleeveless Gianni Versace Couture dress, designed by Gianni Versace. From the Spring/Summer 1996 collection, this knit dress is finished with silver stitching and ...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail 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.