

He resigned from his post after making anti-Semitic remarks, however. John Galliano proved an expert in the design codes of the great master Christian Dior and reinterpreted them ingeniously, drawing inspiration from every direction (street fashion, homeless people’s old clothing, sportswear, sadomasochism, etc.) and ensuring that collections were never short of surprises. Presented to Princess Diana by Bernadette Chirac on a visit to Paris, it very quickly became an “it-bag.”ĭior returned to the media spotlight in 1999, with the arrival of British fashion designer John Galliano as artistic director. In 1995, Dior launched its most emblematic bag – the Lady Dior, designed by Gianfranco Ferré. He was succeeded by Marc Bohan from 1962 to 1989, and then Gianfranco Ferré from 1989 to 1997.ĭior was acquired by the LVMH group in 1987. The pace at which Dior released collections – seven a year – restored Paris as the capital of fashion.Ĭhristian Dior died in 1957, forcing Yves Saint-Laurent, whom he had hired as a dress designer in 1954, to become the firm’s artistic director for a time. In 1949, it was the turn of prêt-à-porter and, in 1950, the first licenses were granted for accessories. In 1947, the firm launched its first fragrance, Miss Dior. His Corolle line, characterised by a drawn-in waist, an ample ankle-length skirt and rounded shoulders, remains famous to this day. His New Look, a style returning to a sumptuous idea of feminine elegance which had been abandoned during the war, instantly propelled him to the front of the international stage. In 1947, the first Dior fashion show was an unparalleled success. In 1945, the textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac offered him funding to set up his own fashion house, which he accepted. He then continued to cut his teeth with Lucien Lelong.

Noted for his talent, at the age of 33 he was hired by the fashion house of Robert Piguet, where he learned to favour a stripped-back style. Having opened a gallery in 1928, which then succumbed to the crisis of 1929, Christian Dior began drawing dresses and hats as a designer, as well as for the press. Born in 1905, Christian Dior founded a brand which revolutionised fashion in the 1950s.
