Vintage 1968 Christian Dior Couture London Stripe Silk Pleated Drop-Waist Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 26 in (66.04 cm)Hip: 36 in (91.44 cm)
- Style:1960s (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Silk, Pleatwork
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3092486411
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: Beverly Hills, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Vintage 1960 Norman Norell Sequin Star Novelty Black Sheer Illusion Tulle GownBy Norman NorellLocated in Beverly Hills, CAThis iconic Norman Norell couture gown exemplifies his signature blend of couture level quality with quintessentially American style; elegant in its simplicity. Dating back to his 19...Category
1960s American Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1969 Mila Schön Italian Couture Black Purple Wool Mod Target Coat DressBy Mila SchonLocated in Beverly Hills, CAAn important and truly stunning Mila Schön Couture black and purple mod coat dress dating back to her 1968-69 fall/winter collection. She was living in Milan with her husband when sh...Category
1960s Italian Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Vintage 1970's Loris Azzaro Couture Black Gold Silk & Velvet Lace-Up Corset GownBy Loris AzzaroLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA seductive Loris Azzaro silk moiré and velvet low plunge lace-up corset gown dating back to the late 1970's. Loris Azzaro is famous for creating glamorous and provocative customized...Category
1970s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1940's Marcelle Dormoy French Couture Black Silk Cut-Outs Low Back GownLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA breathtaking and incredibly rare early 1940's full-length gown by French couturier Marcelle Dormoy. She started out as a model for Paul Poiret, which...Category
1940s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 2004 Gucci by Tom Ford Rare Runway Black Silk Crystal-Snake Finale DressBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Beverly Hills, CABreathtaking and extremely rare 2004 Gucci runway finale dress by the famous designer, Tom Ford. This iconic show-stopper is fashioned from the highest quality sheer black silk-organ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1973 Pierre Balmain Haute Couture Navy Silk Pleated Petal Collar GownBy Pierre BalmainLocated in Beverly Hills, CAUltra chic modernist Pierre Balmain haute couture navy blue gown dating back to the 1973 fall-winter collection. Pierre Balmain worked under Robert Pigi...Category
1970s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- S/S 2002 Gucci by Tom Ford Knit Hook Closure Runway Black Knit Dress SetBy Gucci, Tom Ford for 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 Couture, Gianni VersaceLocated 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, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated 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
- 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
- Vintage JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Black V Neck Fitted DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Beverly Hills, CA1990s Jean Paul Gaultier Fitted Black Halter V neck Dress. Front zipper with adjustable velcro belt at the back. Dress has some strecth. Fit size 2/4 Small Bust: 32 inch - 34 inch Wa...Category
1990s French 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.