Christian Dior: A Legacy of Luxury and Elegance

Christian Dior was born on January 21, 1905, in Granville, France, to a wealthy family. His father, owner of a successful fertilizer manufacturer, provided a comfortable life, but Christian’s passions lay in art, architecture, and flowers. Despite his desires, his father pushed him to become a diplomat, leading Christian to enroll in the Ecole des Sciences Politiques in 1925, studying political science, a path that didn’t truly interest him.

Early Life and Career

Christian Dior’s early life took a turn when he opened an art gallery with his father’s financial support in 1928. However, his father’s business was affected by the Great Depression, and Christian was forced to close the gallery in 1931. Following the loss of his mother and brother, Christian faced financial troubles and was forced to find creative ways to earn a living, eventually contracting tuberculosis and spending a year in recovery.

After recovering, Christian Dior found ways to make money by selling fashion sketches and hat designs. He was offered a job as a design assistant by Robert Peugeot, who taught him the importance of simplicity in fashion. However, his involvement in fashion was put on hold when he was called up for military service during World War II. Dior opted out of service and returned to Paris, where he began working in haute couture for Lucian Lelong, producing ideas that would eventually shape his own ambitions in fashion.

The Birth of the Christian Dior Brand

Millionaire Marcel Busak offered Christian Dior a chance to revive a defunct fashion house, but Dior declined, wanting to create his own brand instead. Busak agreed to support Dior financially, allowing him to launch his career and open his own boutique at 30 Avenue Montaigne, marking the creation of the Christian Dior brand. With his newfound freedom, Dior worked tirelessly, leveraging his unique eye for fashion, shaped by his associations with renowned artists, to build his brand.

Christian Dior’s privileged upbringing instilled in him a unique sense of fashion, which differed from the pragmatic trend that dominated the industry during World War II. After the war, Dior sought to reintroduce femininity and luxury, creating a collection that was unashamedly decadent. In less than three months, he launched his first couture collection, “Corolla,” which featured romantic, lavish, and feminine pieces with a nostalgic silhouette.

Rise to Fame and Expansion

The collection was groundbreaking, with opulent garments that required an average of 20 yards of fabric per dress, and although not everyone was pleased, it was a huge success and revolutionary in the fashion world. Coco Chanel made snarky remarks about Christian Dior’s style, calling it too stiff and fussy, and accusing him of dragging women back to 19th-century ideals of femininity. Dior saw his work as ephemeral architecture dedicated to the beauty of the female body. Despite backlash in the US, Dior persevered and expanded his brand globally, opening a store in New York City and launching an expanded collection to provide the entire fashion experience and continue his legacy.

• Created a fragrance called Miss Dior as an ode to his sister Catherine
• Licensed the Dior name for accessories, allowing fans to capture the New York look from head to toe
• Dressed big stars, and by the mid-1950s, it was a highly respected fashion empire

Legacy and Succession

Yves Saint Laurent, a 19-year-old, joined as Dior’s assistant and was soon admired for his potential, with Dior wanting him to be his successor. However, Dior’s sudden death in 1957 at 52 led to Saint Laurent taking over as artistic director, keeping Dior’s legacy alive while introducing a softer silhouette and new pieces. Mark Bohan was appointed creative head in the late 1960s and brought a more conservative style, streamlining the classic concept to give it a modern twist.

Under his helm, Dior became a feminine brand beloved by many, and he was credited with keeping the label at the forefront of fashion. Bohan built the brand, making it internationally successful, but by the late 1970s, Dior had become a hidden asset inside a failing conglomerate called Busac Samfrere. The Busac Group, parent company of Dior, filed for bankruptcy in 1978, which led to Bernard Arnault, a billionaire and future head of LVMH, taking charge of Dior and assuming multiple roles.

Modern Era and Continued Success

Under his leadership and subsequent creative directors, Dior continued to thrive as a stand-alone brand, even after being folded into LVMH, and recorded a revenue of 28.7 billion euros in the first half of 2021, solidifying its position as a luxurious fashion house known for its attention to detail and enduring image. Christian Dior’s legacy continues to dominate the fashion world over half a century after his passing, with his impact still felt on the high seas of fashion.

Key Vocabulary

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Vocabulary Quiz

1. Which word means ‘a person who is given the job of creating and designing things, especially in a company or organization’ in the context of Christian Dior’s career?

A) Diplomat
B) Assistant
C) Artistic Director
D) Entrepreneur

2. What does ‘haute couture’ refer to in the context of Christian Dior’s career?

A) High-end ready-to-wear clothing
B) Exclusive and custom-made clothing
C) Mass-produced fashion
D) Accessories design

3. Which word means ‘excessively luxurious or elaborate’ in the context of Christian Dior’s first couture collection?

A) Decadent
B) Simple
C) Feminine
D) Pragmatic

4. What does ‘ephemeral’ mean in the context of Christian Dior’s view of his work?

A) Lasting forever
B) Temporary or fleeting
C) Physical or tangible
D) Unimportant or insignificant

5. Which word means ‘a person who takes the place of another person, especially in a job or position’ in the context of Yves Saint Laurent’s role after Christian Dior’s death?

A) Predecessor
B) Successor
C) Assistant
D) Colleague

Answer Key:

1. C
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. B

Grammar Focus

Grammar Focus: The Use of the Past Perfect Tense

Grammar Quiz:

1. By the time Christian Dior launched his first couture collection, he ____________________ his unique eye for fashion.

• was developing
• had developed
• develops
• is developing

2. Christian Dior’s father ____________________ him to become a diplomat before he opened his art gallery.

• had encouraged
• encouraged
• was encouraging
• is encouraging

3. By the late 1970s, Dior ____________________ a hidden asset inside a failing conglomerate.

• had become
• became
• was becoming
• becomes

4. Before Christian Dior opted out of military service, he ____________________ his studies at the Ecole des Sciences Politiques.

• had completed
• was completing
• completed
• is completing

5. By the time Yves Saint Laurent joined Dior, Christian Dior ____________________ his brand globally.

• had expanded
• expands
• was expanding
• expand

Answer Key:

1. had developed

2. had encouraged

3. had become

4. had completed

5. had expanded