Brief Biography

Christian Dior was a popular French fashion designer who remains one of the top names in fashion. He was born on January 21, 1905 in Granville, a small town on the coast of France. He came from a wealth family who had made their fortune in fertilizer and his parents wanted young Christian to become a man of influence, possibly a diplomat. They sent him to the prestigious Ecole des Scinces Politiques school where Christian was an average student. One reason he did not excel in his studies was because he spent all of his free time sketching, mostly fashion designs. He even sold fashion sketches on the street to make extra money.

After he graduated his father reluctantly gave him enough money to start a small art gallery. But when the family suffered financial disaster and his father lost his business, Dior had to close his gallery. After a brief stint in the army, Dior was hired by the fashion house of Lucien Lelong where he quickly became one of their top designers.

With a growing reputation for original designs, Dior received backing from a wealthy admirer to open his own fashion house in 1946. His first collection was a smashing success and the editor of Harper’s Bazzaar called it “New Look,” a label that would be associated with Christian Dior all his days. 

Designs

The most obvious thing that set Dior’s designs apart from other designers was his use of fabric. After World War II the fashion community was forced to conserve and use less fabric in their designs due to rations on fabric. Paris was still picking up the pieces and returning to life after the Nazi occupation and nearly everything was rationed. Fashion designers were especially hard hit and they had to rethink their entire approach to making dresses with less fabric. But Dior was a true maverick and he refused to compromise. He did not use less fabric in his dresses, but rather decided to simply make fewer dresses. This allowed the Dior line to stand out and to catch the eye of fashion reporters all over the world. They described the look as voluptuous and one that created new shapes and silhouettes.

To achieve this “New Look” Dior used fabrics lined with percale, hip padding and petticoats that made the dresses larger in the waist and bust area, which gave his models a curvier form. And because he used more fabric in his dresses he was able to make them full length and cover up the legs. Before then designers had been making shorter dresses due to the fabric shortage, so Dior’s dresses were something new. Dior and his “New Look” would go on to revolutionize fashion and to return Paris to its rightful place at the top of the fashion world.

Men’s Fashion

Christian Dior is also known as one of the top names in men’s fashion. He designed stylish, edgy lines of men’s suits and accessories. He is especially well-known for his silk neckties, which are said to be bold and expressive. They are also known for being expensive. A typical silk necktie from Dior sells for around a hundred and fifty dollars.