He trained for the French diplomatic service, but in the financial crisis of the 1930s he began illustrating fashions for a weekly periodical. Christian Dior began his career in design in 1935 as an illustrator.
In 1942 he joined the house of the Parisian designer Lucein Lelong, as head designer alongside Pierre Balmain.
A wealthy friend, Marcel Boussac, offered Dior financial backing to strike out on his own. He opened his own house in 1946 and launched his very first collection in the spring of 1947.
In that year, he introduced his revolutionary ‘New Outlook’ which features small shoulders, a natural waistline and a voluminous skirt, a drastic change from the World war II look of padded shoulders and short skirt.
He also paired his wasp-waisted torso silhouette with a narrow pencil skirt, always focusing on a highly feminine shape that borrowed nothing from the boxy looks associated with the Depression and prewar eras.
The Dior client list ranges form legendary film actress Ava Gardner and Marlene Dietrich to Princess Margaret and the Duchess of Windsor.
In 1948, he was the first designer to create licensing agreements, something that is ubiquitous today.
In the 1950s the ‘sack’ or ‘H’ line, became the characteristics silhouette of his designs. Christian Dior was best known for his superior innovations and for creating, for the first time in fashion designer history, a global brand extending across a various product categories.
Christian Dior (January, 21, 190 5 – October 24, 1957)
