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.
$1,187
Dior bee earrings
By Gianfranco Ferré for Christian Dior
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
DIOR - Golden metal clip-on earrings with rhinestoned bees. Jewelry from the early 1990s under the artistic direction of Gianfranco Ferré. Condition: Very good condition Dimensions...
Gilt Metal
Vintage 18Kt Yellow Gold Enamel Bee Stud Earrings, Italy, 1970s
Located in Firenze, IT
Pair of earrings with black and yellow enamel realistically depicting a bee. Mounted in 18Kt yellow gold Size 12mm Weight: 12gr.
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
$285Sale Price|40% Off
CHRISTIAN DIOR signed vintage gold plated designer clip on earrings
By Christian Dior
Located in Palos Hills, IL
DETAILS • signed CHRISTIAN DIOR • gold plated • vintage designer earrings MEASUREMENTS • CONDITION • very good vintage condition with minimal signs of wear Sku 57 ❤️❤️...
Elizabeth Locke "Fat Bee" Earrings
By Elizabeth Locke
Located in Sarasota, FL
Elizabeth Locke 19k Triad Cushion "Fat Bee" Earrings. 20x22mm, 22.42g
Christian Dior Dark Golden Metal Earrings
By Christian Dior
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Dior - Dark golden metal earrings. Additional information: Condition: Very good condition Dimensions: Minimum height: 1.5 cm - Maximum height: 4.5 cm Seller Reference: BO413
14K Yellow Gold Diamond Bumble Bee Stud Earrings for Her
By Joelle Fine Jewelry
Located in Great neck, NY
Quality Earrings Set: Made from real 14k gold 0.18ct and white sparkling diamonds, available in pink, white, and yellow,with a color G-H and clarity of SI1-SI2 Surprise Your Loved Ones with Our Diamond Earrings For Her: If you are looking to gift your spouse, girlfriend, kid, or mother on a special occasion like Christmas, birthday, engagement or anniversary then look no further as our earrings come with a beautiful gift box. Precious Heirloom Piece: We certify an authentic piece of jewelry that is handpicked and made with love, The certificate guarantees that all diamonds are genuine, and crafted with the utmost care and precision assuring everlasting quality that can be passed on from generation to generation. Timeless Diamond and Gold Earrings: Our diamond earrings were designed with the modern woman in mind. They are the perfect accessory as they are suitable for any occasion! This classic and elegant earring would make the perfect addition to your jewelry collection box. Ease Of Mind and With Full Confidence: Your satisfaction is our only priority so in the improbable case that you are not 100% thrilled with our diamond studs earrings, we will offer you a full refund, No questions asked! Adorn yourself with these classic and elegant bumble bee Earrings...
Diamond, Yellow Gold
Vintage Statement Crystal Bee Earrings 1980s
Located in Wilmslow, GB
A wondrous pair of Vintage Crystal Bee Earrings with fabulous large fancy cut crystals and pave set chatons. Statement and cool, these beauties will prove a divine finishing touch fo...
18 Karat Gold Citrine White Black Diamonds Bees Stud Earrings
By Rossella Ugolini
Located in Rome, IT
Rossella Ugolini Design Collection a pair of beautiful Bees Stud Earrings handcrafted in 18 Karats Yellow Gold and adorned with a Yellow Citrine and ...
Citrine, Diamond, White Diamond, Black Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$3,500 / set
H 0.075 in W 0.75 in D 0.25 in L 0.75 in
Antique Gold and Silver Bee Earrings with Sapphires and Diamonds
Located in North Hollywood, CA
This is a striking pair of antique-style bee (or fly) earrings, crafted in gold with oxidized silver detailing that gives the insects' bodies a dark, aged contrast. Each bee features...
Diamond, Sapphire, 14k Gold, Silver
$2,125
H 2 in W 1.75 in D 0.15 in Dm 1.75 in L 2 in
Vintage Christian Dior Gold Tone Diamante Butterfly Earrings Circa 1980s
By Christian Dior
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Christian Dior Boutique Gold Tone Butterfly Earrings With Diamante. These can also be clipped at the side of the ear for a very different look. The Butterflies look like t...
Mixed Metal
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.
