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.
Pink Jimmy Choo Leather Ankle Strap Heeled Sandals Size 42
By Jimmy Choo
Located in New York, NY
Pink leather ankle strap heeled sandals by Jimmy Choo. Gold-tone hardware. Buckle closures at ankle straps. 0.75" platform height, 4.25" heel height. Designer Size: 42 US Recom...
STUART WEITZMAN Size 9 Beatrix Pink Gold Leather Strappy Sandals
By Stuart Weitzman
Located in San Francisco, CA
STUART WEITZMAN "Beatrix Wrap Around" sandals in a pink leather featuring a open toe style, wrap around strap, and a gold tone heel. Made in Spainches Very Good Pre-Owned Condition....
Christian Dior Crocodile Embossed Dusty Pink T-Strap Bow Sandals It 36 - US 6
By Christian Dior
Located in Montgomery, TX
Christian Dior Crocodile Embossed T-Strap Shoes Slingback Sandals Designer size 36 - US 6 Dusti Pink Color, Croc Embossed, Embellished, Bow Ac...
Pink patent leather sandals with sculpture heel Emilio Pucci
By Emilio Pucci
Located in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FR
Pink patent leather sandals with sculpture heel . Heel's height : 7,5 cm SHOES SIZE : 37,5 (Eu) 6 (US)
$150Sale Price|25% Off
CHRISTIAN DIOR neon pink patent leather peep toe platform pumps EU38
By Christian Dior
Located in Hong Kong, NT
CHRISTIAN DIOR neon pink patent leather peep toe platform pumps EU38 Reference: MEKK/A00008 Brand: Dior Material: Leather Color: Neon Pink Pattern: Solid Closure: Slip On Lining: Nud...
Sergio Rossi, pink leather cut-out sandals.
By Sergio Rossi
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
Sergio Rossi, pink leather cut-out sandals. The item has been worn once and is in very good condition. The item comes with dustbag and box. • CONDITION: very good condition • SIZE...
Versace Pink Crystal Embellished Plexiglass Platform Sandals size 38 - 8
By Versace
Located in Montgomery, TX
VERSACE High heel sandals with buckle features and plexiglass heel/platform detailing. Finished with pink crystals Content: 100% Leather Heel 5" Color Pink IT Size 38 - US 8 insole ...
VERSACE Runway pink chunky chain metallic kitten comma heel sandals EU38
By Donatella Versace, Versace
Located in Hong Kong, NT
VERSACE Runway pink chunky chain metallic kitten comma heel sandals EU38 Reference: TGAS/C01775 Brand: Versace Designer: Donatella Versace Model: DST563H DCA25 1P340 Collection: Runw...
Gucci Tom Ford Era Pink Embossed Leather Stiletto Sandals 37.5 Y2K
By Tom Ford for Gucci
Located in San Jose, CA
Authentic Gucci pink embossed leather stiletto sandals from the Tom Ford era, featuring slim strappy construction and signature Gucci logo heel plates. These early 90's- 2000s designer heels capture the sleek, glamorous aesthetic that defined Gucci during the Tom Ford period. Crafted in Italy from soft pink embossed leather, the sandals feature delicate straps, an adjustable ankle buckle closure, and a slim high stiletto heel with the iconic Gucci G-logo heel plate. The minimalist silhouette and feminine color make them a standout Y2K-era designer shoe that pairs effortlessly with both modern and vintage styling. Size EU 37.5 (approx US 7.5). True to size. Condition: Pre-owned. Uppers and straps remain excellent with strong structure and clean leather. Soles show wear consistent with gentle use. Please review all photos for condition details. A rare Tom Ford–era Gucci design perfect for collectors, Y2K fashion lovers, and statement evening styling. Ideal for weddings, date nights, vacation looks, or pairing with satin dresses, tailoring, or low-rise denim for a true early-2000s revival aesthetic. Keywords: gucci pink sandals, tom ford era gucci heels, gucci embossed leather heels, pink designer sandals...
Gianvito Rossi Ribbon Buckle Patent Leather Sandals
By Gianvito Rossi
Located in London, GB
Gianvito Rossi Ribbon Buckle Patent Leather Sandals Fuchsia pink patent leather sandals designed with a single strap to the vamp and a square toe. Adorned with a gold ribbon-shaped...
Andy Warhol and the fashion house’s first collections were among the creative director’s inspirations.
There's a renewed appreciation for the era's aesthetic, perhaps most notably among millennials seeking authentic, easy style.
