Christian Dior

Christian Dior is one of the brightest stars of the fashion world in the history of mankind. For half a century, his legacy - the Christian Dior Fashion House - has been living without it, but the collections of the brand still correspond to the highest level declared by the once great couturier. How did the biography of the master of fashion, what milestones in the history of the house Dior changed the lives of all fashionistas, and what are the main discoveries in the design of women's clothing made Christian?

It is hardly an exaggeration to say that fashion in the form in which it exists today is largely due to the hard work of Christian Dior. This man was in love with fashion, but because he devoted his whole life to her, so today in the everyday life of stylish women there are a lot of things, without which you can not do.

Nowadays there is not a single person to whom the name of the great fashion designer would be unfamiliar. However, Christian made the difficult path to recognition and fame, and in life he managed to taste success only for a few years.

Christian Dior was born on January 21, 1905 in a large family, in the tiny town of Granville, located in the north of France, right in the port of the Channel. It was a very successful family: the father managed to become a successful merchant, the mother took care of her five children (Christian was the second in a row). And when the boy was only 6 years old, his parents were able to move straight to the capital. This was the first, yet unconscious, step of Dior towards the cause of his life.

Christian from childhood was a dreamer. From a young age, the boy was fond of painting, practiced a lot and even thought about the career of an artist. Parents persistently tried to draw the attention of their offspring to more practical activities - business, politics, diplomacy. But they did not succeed: although Christian Dior entered the Free School of Political Science under the onslaught of his ancestors, this did not affect his career plans.

So, at the age of 23, Dior, in a clubhouse, with his friend Jean Bonjack, acquired an art gallery. At the disposal of young entrepreneurs were the works of authors who are known today to the whole world: Picasso, Matisse - with the right promotion, this gallery would become a very profitable business, but it took time. Unfortunately, fate decreed that Dior and Bonjark did not have time.

Only three years, young enthusiasts managed to play in the owners of the art gallery. In 1931, Christian's mother carried the fatal illness away, and his father, after his beloved wife, died away and his father, shortly before doing so, went bankrupt. Dior had to get rid of the gallery and return from heaven to earth.

After the failures of youth in search of his place in this world, Dior went to the army, where he served for several years. Returning to civilian life at an already respectable age — about 40 years — Dior looked around and realized that many of his acquaintances had succeeded significantly in the fashion world.However, by a happy chance among the friends from this sphere, there were people who helped Dior to be at the right time in the right place.

The culprit of the fateful meeting was Dior's childhood friend - Pierre Balmain. At the time when Christian had just returned from the war, Pierre already had his own successful fashion house and lots of useful contacts. It was Balmen who advised Dior as an artist to one of the fabulously wealthy entrepreneurs.

The manufacturer Marcel Boussac, who made a fortune on textiles, was looking for a talented artist for his fashion house at that time. It is not known for certain how the first time of Dior and Bussak's cooperation passed, it was not documented what exactly conquered the entrepreneur in an unknown artist. However, under the auspices of Marcel Boussac, very soon this artist himself had his own fashion house.

Becoming a designer of women's clothing, Christian Dior gained wings and began to create, like the little dreamy boy he was in childhood. Thanks to Dior, beauty and luxury became popular again in post-war Europe, the joy of life returned to men and women, and the honorary title of the world capital of fashion returned to Paris. The maestro has not been in the world for many years, and now it is especially important to preserve the history of creating the legendary things from Dior, so that the traditions of the delightful brand passed from generation to generation.

In 1941, Christian began his career in the world of big fashion. He received the artist's place in the famous Parisian Fashion House Lucien Lelong. The following year, Dior opened his own perfume laboratory - over the years it will grow into the world famous firm Christian Dior Perfume.

But the history of the great brand will begin its chronicle only in 1946. October 8 is the day when Christian Dior founded a fashion brand under his own name. The first ten years of the brand's existence are the last years of the great master's life.

• February 12, 1947. The first collection of Dior - New Look - was demonstrated at a large show in Paris and made a real revolution in the fashion world.

• 1948 A memorable trip to America took place, where Dior was awarded the prestigious prize for his contribution to the art of fashion designer.

• 1950-1951 years. One by one, the innovative collections of the House of Dior: Vertical, Oblique, Oval, Longue.

• 1952 The London office of the Christian Dior brand has opened.

• 1953 A division of Dior Delman for the production of shoes appeared, sketches for which were provided by the renowned master of his craft, Roger Vivier.

• 1954 Dior received a license to sew lingerie. In the same year, the brand continued to conquer the world: Dior offices were opened in Mexico City, Caracas, Australia, Chile and Cuba.

• 1955 The Fashion House has its own line of bijoux Bijoux.

• 1956-1957 years. The latest bright collections created with the participation of Christian Dior - Arrow, Aimant, H and Libre.

• October 24, 1957. While at a health resort, Christian Dior died suddenly from a heart attack. He was only 52 years old, but he managed to change the whole world, and his legacy still lives.

For several decades, that the brand exists without its founder, many famous couturiers stood at the helm of the Fashion House. The reign of one of them was a continuation of the traditions established by Christian. Others almost completely buried his ideas and reworked Dior almost beyond recognition.

The young fashion designer appeared in the company in 1953. Dior immediately noticed the talent of Saint-Laurent, and from 1955 until the very death of Christian the young man was his assistant. The first collection for Dior as the chief designer of the brand, Yves Saint Laurent, was presented in 1958. It was called "Trapeze" and was distinguished by its focus on younger women.

This made Dior completely different than the brand was with the creator. It was under Saint Laurent, in 1959, that Dior’s clothes were first seen by residents of Soviet Moscow at a show at the Wings of Soviets culture house.

However, success was no less loud, because from the collections of Saint-Laurent breathed freshness and youth. In 1960, the “Hipster” collection came out, the name itself speaks for the components of this line: short motorcycle jackets, classic suits, worn on turtlenecks instead of shirts ... .

It is difficult to understand why not all the changes in the brand concept frightened those who invested in Dior. So, since 1961, as many as 28 years in a row, the creation of Christian Dior has been mercilessly reshaped by another ambitious designer, Mark Boan. The designer decided to abandon the luxury and brilliance that featured in Christian Dior clothing before. The main principle of Boan was the creation of clothing "... for real women, not for themselves, not for mannequins and not for fashion magazines."

In 1970-1980, the line was produced Christian Dior Monsieur. The collections of this era were distinguished by simplicity and ease, it was a new "luxury luxury" - an attractive trend from Dior. It was in some sense a successful time, because the main fans of the brand were Hollywood beauties: Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, Mia Farrow. However, on the whole, the brand was failing: the change in the main concept led to the fact that public interest in Dior had faded, and the brand began to collect negligible spectators.

The resignation of Mark Bohan tried to send back in 1984, it was then that Ferre first received an offer to take a leading position in Dior, but for some reason the virtuoso Italian designer refused. The second time, in 1989, Gianfranco accepted this offer.

However, this success is not very satisfied with the designer. In 1996, Ferré left his post at Dior to devote himself to working on a brand with his own name.

In the place of Ferre came the young and very promising British fashion designer John Galliano. It was the beginning of the next, new twist in the history and style of Dior. The era of glamor began with the first collection of Misia Diva. The brand has become even more vibrant, avant-garde and theatrical than ever, and most importantly - it has become incredibly successful commercially. The celebrities began to appear again in the Dior outfits on the red carpet, while the faces of the brand during the Galliano period were Charlize Theron, Monica Bellucci, Sharon Stone, Marion Cotillard, Gisele Bündchen.

The Dior collections in the days of Galliano were romantic, feminine and extravagant. The designer used only luxurious materials: velvet, satin and brocade were richly decorated with fringe, stones, ruffles and embroidery. It was Galliano who opened the first Dior store in Moscow (1997). Unfortunately, such a talented creator was, like many creative personalities, somewhat arrogant. On March 1, 2011, the company’s management dismissed John Galliano from his post as Dior’s chief designer due to a scandal that erupted because of the anti-Semitic public behavior of the designer.

Edie Slimane, widely known in France, from 2000 to 2007 was responsible for the Dior men's collections. He remembered for his sophisticated silhouettes and introduced a lot of innovations in the masculine style. He worked in the Fashion House so little, because he was afraid to become a hostage to someone else's name. Edie Slimane soon switched to promoting his own label.

The next bright creative director, whose brand management left a significant mark in history, was Raf Simons. He became the head of the company in 2011 and stayed on this post until October 2015. The main "trick" of Simons was the shoes: latex jackboots and fashioned sneakers - his most vivid hits.

In June 2016, Maria Grazia Curie, who previously headed the Valentino Fashion House, took up the position of Dior Creative Director.Some time before her arrival after Raf Simons "at the helm" stood various young and talented designers, including Lucy Meyer and Serge Rufier.

• 1947 - New Look - Christian Dior. This collection introduced the fashion of the hourglass silhouette: rounded hips, sloping shoulders and wasp waist became forever the epitome of true femininity. An elegant miniature handbag, shoes with a narrow and pointed toe, and, as a finishing touch, a lush hairstyle or a wide-brimmed hat.

• 1957 - "Trapeze" - Yves Saint Laurent. Geometric silhouette, straight lines and unusually short length - the prodigy from the fashion world forever left its indelible mark on history.

• 1966 - “Doctor Zhivago” - Mark Boan. The collection based on the movie was remembered by long coats with fur collars and wide belts.

• 1989 - spring / summer - Gianfranco Ferre. The unique collection brought the prestigious Golden Thimble Award to the Italian fashion designer.

• 1996 - Misia Diva - John Galliano. From his very first collection, the couturier sought to reflect the ethnic motives and culture of the peoples of different countries in his clothes.

• 2004 - spring / summer - John Galliano. The glitter of gold and stones, the collection is imbued with the themes of ancient Egypt.

• 2013 - Autumn / Winter 2013-2014 - Raf Simons. In this collection, the designer demonstrated his vision of the new look silhouette, while not changing his beloved minimalism and playing with bright colors.

In today's Dior collections can be traced restrained and slightly modernized manifestation of the style embodied in the brand by Christian Dior. Women's and men's line filled with elegant and spectacular things. For example, the spring / summer 2017 collection was devoted to the fashionable classics of the twentieth century, and therefore you can find all the characteristic features of the “textbook” Dior in it.

Brand accessory from the famous brand is the object of desire of any modern fashionista. A miniature clutch costs fabulous money, but still women all over the world are striving to acquire at least one such thing. Most popular models:

• New lady with butterflies;

• Miss Dior;

• Open bar;

• Diorama;

• Diorissimo;

• Mini;

• Lady Dior.

The latest model was designed specifically for Princess Diana. Each of these varieties today is considered a classic, does not lose its relevance and is relevant in both everyday and evening images.

The brand also produces classic pumps, and excellent sports shoes (sneakers, sneakers, sneakers), as well as ultra-modern shoes, all sorts of sandals, models on a flat sole and, of course, boots.

The first perfume released by Christian in 1947 is Miss Dior. Created around the aroma of lilies of the valley - the favorite flowers of Dior's mother. He created a sensation in the world of perfumery, and still the perfumes of this brand are among the top five on the planet.

The most popular fragrances for the representatives of the strong half of humanity:

• Fahrenheit;
• Sauvage;
• Higher Energy;
• Homme.

Of course, for men, the iconic creations of perfumery under the Dior brand were created significantly less than for women.

In addition to the first, which has become revolutionary, there are many other popular flavors:

• J'adore;
• Diorissimo;
• Addict;
• Dune;
• Dolce Vita;
• Midnight Poison;
• Blooming Bouquet;
• Dioressence;
• Forever and Ever;
• Hypnotic Poison.

Equally successful among women around the world is Dior cosmetics, both decorative and skin care products. Under the renowned brand, high-end “inhabitants” of women's cosmetic bags are produced:

• shadows (5 colors);
• powder;
• pomade;
• lip gloss;
• mascara;
• concealer;
• nail polish;
• makeup brushes;
• rouge.

Among the care products are especially in demand Dior lip balms, creams and gels for the skin around the eyes, for the face, as well as wrinkle filler Capture Totale.

Silhouette of the new look, pumps, Miss Dior fragrance ... Only Red Rouge Dior lipstick will complete this series from the arsenal of “female weapons”.Christian Dior published this legendary item in 1949. At first it was a limited edition for VIP clients: not for sale, but as a gift.

Incredibly bright and seductive lipstick adorned Bette Davis’s lips in the film “All About Eve”, as well as Marlene Dietrich’s mouth in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Fear of the Scene”. After the incredible success of not only the films themselves, but also the appearance of their heroines (and here the lips played no less, and maybe a greater role), Dior began working on the mass release of his seductive lipstick.

The first collection of Rouge Dior consisted of 8 shades that were perfectly combined or even completely repeated the red shades of couture fabrics from the collection of this year. Today the palette of legendary lipstick has several dozen shades.

The main advantage of Dior jewelry, whether earrings or sunglasses, is the decoration of each item with iridescent rock crystal stones. The effect of such a decorative reception Dior opened with Swarovski back in 1955. Today, Victoria de Castellan is responsible for creating unique brand jewelery.

The first model was released in 1975 and was called Black Moon. Today, the brand produces several lines of watches, each of which presents dozens of different models. The most popular lineup is Dior VIII (with a happy Dior number). This collection creates casual, evening and cocktail hours. The face of the campaign was the actress Charlize Theron.

The name of Christian Dior is immortalized not only in his brand. Fashion designers are considered to be a real legend and creator of world fashion, they make films about him and write books. By the way, the master himself released the autobiography “Dior O Dior” in 1956. And two years earlier, another designer’s first book, Dior. Fashion Dictionary.

Autobiography in detail tells the whole history of the formation of the great couturier. And in his dictionary, Dior shares with the women simple secrets of elegance. Most of his style recommendations are still relevant today.

Among the books written about Dior by other people, “Christian Dior. The biography ”(Marie-France Pokna) and“ Dior Glamor: 1952-1962 ”(Mark Shaw). In 2005, director Philippe Lanfranci released the documentary “Christian Dior - The Legend Man”, immersing the viewer in the atmosphere surrounding the great creator, showing the world of the legendary fashion designer from the inside.

But the main repository of memory of Christiane Dior should be called a museum, located in the master's father's house - in the estate in Granville.

The interiors in which the Christian family lived are recreated here, some of the personal belongings of the illustrious designer are presented, and, of course, retrospective exhibitions of the brand take place here regularly.

It would seem that someone is thinner able to feel the feminine soul than a master who dresses her in stunning dresses, wraps her in seductive shoes and envelops her with seductive aromas? But Christian, who exalted the woman to the heavens, by the evil fate of fate had no opportunity to love a woman in the full sense of the word.

Fashion designer in all his life has not found family happiness. The culprit was the unconventional orientation, of which, of course, Dior did not extend, but this was clearly to those close to him. They began to openly talk about this many years after the master's death. In many ways, the discovery of this fact was promoted by the appearance in the company of Dior John Galliano, who not only did not hide his orientation, but also actively exaggerated this topic.

• Christian Dior was the first among fashion designers to license his inventions in the fashion world. He sold the right to place the Dior trademark, which in his time was a wonder, and today is the norm.

• Dior was a terribly superstitious person, so he always observed the same laws: at every show at least one model defiled with a bouquet of lilies of the valley — Christian's mother’s favorite flowers; Before the start of each show, the designer must have wondered on the Tarot cards; Each Dior collection included a coat, named after the couturier’s hometown Granville.

• Most of the designer was inspired by the architecture: the master used a lot of techniques to create unique outfits that emphasize the chest and hips.

• Dior returned the corset to fashion, he was convinced that "there is no fashion without a corset."

• An ardent opponent of corsets, Coco Chanel was negatively disposed towards Dior's creations. She said that his first collection is “the main horror for the fashion of the late 1940s”.

• Dior was the first to make out the scenery for shows, bringing the elements of theatricality into fashion. It was Dior who created the tradition of decorating the podium in such a way that it would emphasize the character of the collection on display.

• Dior's favorite muses were three models: Rene, Cook and Russian girl Alla Ilchun. The last model has worked in the modeling business a record 20 years. During this time, her waistline has increased by only 2 centimeters (from 47 to 49).

A shortened form-fitting model with a basky waistline was sewed, as a rule, from satin or silk. Involuntarily, Dior created an alternative to the little black dress of Chanel in the form of his complete opposite - these were cocktail suits that many ladies simply adored in the 40s and 50s. At the cocktail bar jacket should be worn with tight pants or with another invention of Christian ...

The style fully reflects Dior's irresistible craving for architectural design. The ideal pair for this masterpiece in the opinion of the designer was one of two options: a cocktail jacket or a slinky top.

Relatively loose cut made this style the pet of absolutely all women. Both Twiggy and the more feminine Jacqueline Kennedy could flaunt themselves in an A-shape dress.

Long crinoline skirts to the floor, richly gathered at the waist, conquered fashionistas with their practicality: they never hesitated, which means they looked great no matter what happened. Wearing their designer recommended only with tight tops, decorated with a deep neckline.

Dior's desire to glorify his brand has resulted in large company logos on clothing and accessories.One of the sharp trends that have not lost their relevance today has become a branded belt with a buckle in the form of the name of the Fashion House.

Shortly before his sudden death, Dior managed to give the world one more masterpiece: in August 1957, the 52-year-old designer showed a golden bra at his show. He looked more like a modern corset with a belt and elastic bands, was hand-sewn of white lace and richly decorated with gold threads.

In 1947, Christian Dior won not only the world of fashion, but also the world of cinema. According to the legend, during the filming of the movie “Fear of the Stage”, the leading woman (Marlene Dietrich) put the director (Alfred Hitchcock) a strict condition that she would only appear in costumes sewn by her favorite designer: “No Dior - no Dietrich!” .

Since then, all the most prestigious actresses in Europe and Hollywood have appeared in movies and in life in Dior's outfits: Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor, Isabelle Adjani and Bette Davis. Even Bridget Bardot, a very young and still unknown woman, a student of a ballet school and an aspiring fashion model, tried on Christian Dior dresses once and brought love to these luxurious clothes through her entire life.

Times have changed, and the age of capitalism has led to the fact that famous actresses began to appear in the costumes of the expensive brand not only and not so much in the movies, but more and more in commercials. But these trends of the century of high technologies only made the beauties of Hollywood beauties closer to the creations of the Fashion House. New muse Dior - the heroine of his time: Charlize Theron, Marion Cotillard, Natalie Portman. Selected once, world-famous beauties personify for years and even decades a luxury brand.