# SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?title=Christian_Dior # FETCHED: 2026-09-08 | revision timestamp: 2026-08-10T04:54:10Z # LICENSE: CC BY-SA (Wikipedia) {{Short description|French fashion designer (1905–1957)}} {{about|the fashion designer|the company|Dior}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Christian Dior | honorific_suffix = | image = Dior révolutionne la haute-couture. Paris Musées 20230526160357.jpg | image_size = 220px | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1905|1|21}} | birth_place = [[Granville, Manche|Granville]], France | baptised = | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1957|10|24|1905|1|21}} | death_place = [[Montecatini Terme]], Italy | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | education = | alma_mater = | known_for = Fashion design, haute couture | notable_works = | style = | movement = | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = | father = [[Maurice Dior]] | mother = [[Madeleine Dior|Madeleine Martin]] | relatives = [[Catherine Dior]] (sister)
[[Françoise Dior]] (niece) | family = | awards = [[Legion of Honour|Légion d'honneur]] (1950) | signature = | signature_type = | signature_size = | signature_alt = | elected = | patrons = | memorials = | website = | module = }} [[File:Palmyre gown - Dior.jpg|thumb|220px|The Dior "Palmyre" Gown, for [[Wallis Simpson]]]] [[File:Dior denver art1.jpg|thumb|220px|The Dior "Bar Suit", 1947]] [[File:Modess... because, November 1953 - Suzy Parker.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Suzy Parker]] in a Dior Gown, 1953]] [[File:Yellow organdy gown by Dior - Publicity.jpg|thumb|220px|A Yellow Organdy Gown]] [[File:Christian Dior Dress indianapolis.jpg|thumb|220px|A 1948 Velvet Gown]] [[File:Pink silk dress by Christian Dior, Paris, Spring 1948.jpg|thumb|220px|Day Ensemble, 1948]] [[File:Christian Dior Dress.jpg|thumb|220px|A 1954 Gown]] [[File:Christian Dior evening gown called "Zémire", Fall-Winter 1954 03.jpg|thumb|220px|The "Zemire" Gown, 1954]] '''Christian Ernest Dior''' ({{IPA|fr|kʁistjɑ̃ djɔʁ|lang}}; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French [[fashion design]]er and founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, [[Dior|Christian Dior SE]]. He was one of the Big Four of 1950s [[haute couture]], the others being [[Jacques Fath]], [[Pierre Balmain]] and [[Jean Dessès]]. Dior believed that fashion was more than clothing; that it was an art form and a continuation of French cultural heritage. His "[[The New Look (style)|New Look]]" revolutionized women's dress, and re-established [[Paris]] as the centre of the fashion world after [[World War II]].{{cite web |last1=Morris |first1=Bernadine |title=How Paris Kept Position in Fashion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/14/style/how-paris-kept-position-in-fashion.html |website=nytimes.com |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=28 July 2026}}{{Cite web|url=https://fashionsizzle.com/2014/01/12/christian-dior/|title=Christian Dior – Fashionsizzle|website=fashionsizzle.com|date=12 January 2014|language=en-US|access-date=2 November 2017}} ==Early life and education== Dior was born in [[Granville, Manche|Granville]], a seaside town on the coast of [[Normandy]], France.{{cite web |title=The Dior Family |url=https://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/unmissable-sites/granville-chausey/dior-family-granville/ |website=normandie-tourisme.fr |publisher=Tourism Normandy |access-date=27 July 2026}} He was the second of five children born to [[Maurice Dior]] (1872-1946), head of his family's fertilizer and chemical firm Dior Frères, and his wife [[Madeleine Dior|Madeleine Martin]] (1879-1931). In 1911, the family moved full-time to a new home in Paris,{{cite web|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/christian-dior|title=Biography: Christian Dior|publisher=Vogue|first=Bibby|last=Sowray|date=5 April 2012|access-date=28 February 2024}} where Christian attended the [[Lycée Janson-de-Sailly]], graduating in 1923. As his parents hoped he would become a diplomat, he enrolled at the [[Sciences Po|Paris Institute of Political Studies]] but wasn't interested in his studies and dropped out in 1926.{{Cite web |last=Nowinski |first=Elodie |date=10 August 2015 |title=Christian Dior: A Passion for Beauty |url=https://www.sciencespo.fr/en/news/christian-dior-passion-beauty/ |publisher=Sciences Po |access-date=18 February 2024}} ==Career== In 1928, with his friend Jacques Bonjean, and funding from his father, Dior opened an art gallery at 34 [[rue La Boétie]], the Galerie Jacques Bonjean, which exhibited works by, among others, [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Georges Braque]], and [[Henri Matisse]]. During the [[Great Depression|Depression]], Dior's father lost his business; with no funding, the gallery closed in 1931. One of the gallery's employees, Pierre Colle, had opened a gallery at nearby 29, rue Cambacérès; Dior joined him at Galerie Pierre Colle, where they became the dealers of [[Alexander Calder]], [[Alberto Giacometti]] and [[Salvador Dali]]. At the end of 1933, the pair ran out of money and had to close the gallery.{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Alina |title=How Christian Dior Became the First Art Dealer... |url=https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-christian-dior-first-art-dealer-display-dalis-melting-clocks |website=artsy.net |publisher=Artsy |access-date=27 July 2026}} By now, Dior had contracted [[tuberculosis]]; he went to his family's smaller country home in [[Callian, Var|Callian]], where it took him a year to recover.{{cite web |last1=Rohland |first1=Lindsay |title=Christian Dior |url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/christian-dior |website=ebsco.com |publisher=EBSCO |access-date=27 July 2026}} While he was recovering, he started sketching fashion and sending the drawings to couture houses; his sketches were purchased by the [[Jean Patou|House of Patou]], the [[House of Worth]], and [[Elsa Schiaparelli]], [[Maggy Rouff]], and [[Edward Molyneux]]. He was able to return to Paris, where he worked as a sketch artist for ''[[Le Figaro]]'' and ''[[Le Jardin des Modes]]''. In 1938, Dior was hired by [[Robert Piguet]], who gave him the opportunity to design for three collections. It was Piguet who brought Dior into the world of [[haute couture]], and Dior would later say: "Robert Piguet taught me that a garment is about fabric, colors, shapes, and the woman living inside it—and that fittings are what truly matter. He taught me the virtues of simplicity through which true elegance must come."{{cite web |last1=Pochna |first1=Marie France |title=Christian Dior : The Man Who Made the World Look New |url=https://archive.org/details/christiandiorman0000poch/mode/2up?q=piguet |website=archive.org |publisher=Aurum, Internet Archive |access-date=15 July 2026}} With the outbreak of the [[World War II|war]] in 1939, Dior left Piguet to complete his [[Conscription in France|compulsory military service]], spending two years in the army's [[List of French divisions in World War II|47th Infantry Division]]. He returned to [[Paris in World War II|Occupied Paris]], where he was hired by [[Lucien Lelong]]. As head of the [[Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode|Chambre Syndicale de la Couture]], Lelong had skillfully convinced the Germans to allow the fashion houses to stay open, saving 28,000 jobs in the process.{{cite web |last1=Gross |first1=Rachel Elspeth |title=Lucien Lelong: Christian Dior's Mentor |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelelspethgross/2024/02/16/lucien-lelong-christian-diors-mentor-before-the-new-look/ |website=forbes.com |publisher=Forbes |access-date=28 July 2026}} Like Piguet, Lelong did not design as much as supervise and mentor the designers who worked for him, and Dior spent the war learning from Lelong and working with Balmain and [[Hubert de Givenchy]], among others. He also began designing costumes for films, beginning with ''Le lit à colonnes'' in 1942.{{cite web |last1=Picken |first1=Mary Brooks |title=Dressmakers of France |url=https://archive.org/details/dressmakersoffra0000mary |website=archive.org |publisher=Harper, Internet Archive |access-date=29 July 2026}}{{cite web |last1=de Marly |first1=Diana |title=Christian Dior |url=https://archive.org/details/christiandior0000dema |website=archive.org |publisher=B.T. Batsford, Internet Archive |access-date=28 July 2026}} ===The House of Dior=== In late 1946, [[Marcel Boussac]], a textile manufacturer and one of the wealthiest men in France, invited Dior to help resurrect the house of [[Philippe et Gaston]]. Dior declined; he wanted his own house. Boussac agreed to finance it and gave Dior ten million [[franc]]s, along with a business manager, Jacques Rouèt. Dior was guaranteed creative control and one-third of the profits. The house opened on 8 October 1946, on 30 [[Avenue Montaigne]], with 85 staff members, seven models, and a salon decorated, by Victor Grandpierre and [[Christian Bérard]], in black, white and gray. His head of [[hatmaking|millinery]] was also his muse, Mitzah Bricard.{{cite web |title=Mitzah Bricard |url=https://teyxo.com/lifestyle/mitzah-bricard-the-untamed-spirit-who-shaped-diors-revolution/ |website=teyxo.com |publisher=Teyxo Magazine |access-date=31 July 2026}} On 12 February 1947, the House of Dior presented its first collection, "Corolla", which was 90 garments displayed in ensembles. Dior's designs caused a sensation, in part because it was a time of austerity and he was presenting luxurious clothing in cambric-lined silk and satin.{{Cite news |last=Grant |first=L. |title=Light at the end of the tunnel |periodical=The Guardian, Life & Style |date=22 September 2007 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2007/sep/22/fashion.features |location=London |access-date=11 November 2013}} Dior explained: "We came from an epoch of war and uniforms, with women like soldiers with boxers' shoulders. I designed flower women, soft shoulders, full busts, waists as narrow as lianas and skirts as corollas." ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'' editor [[Carmel Snow]] called it "The New Look", and the term came to apply to the style of Dior, and others, for the next five years. ====Style==== The Corolla line was drawn from [[Edwardian era]] styles, with Dior refining and crystallizing trends in skirt shape and waistline that had been burgeoning since the 1930s.{{cite web |last1=Mulvagh |first1=Jane |title=Vogue History of 20th Century Fashion p 180 |url=https://archive.org/details/voguehistoryof200000mulv/mode/2up?q=dior |website=archive.org |publisher=Bloomsbury Books, Internet Archive |access-date=27 July 2026}} The house employed [[Pierre Cardin]] as head of tailoring for its first three years; it was he who designed one of the most popular Corolla ensembles, the "Bar Suit", which was purchased by buyers worldwide.{{cite web |title=Cardin First Struck Gold With Suit Made for Dior |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1958/08/07/archives/cardin-first-struck-gold-with-suit-made-for-dior.html |website=nytimes.com |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=28 July 2026}} Dior's fall 1947 collection, the Figure of Eight, continued with longer, more bell-shaped skirts, more bust emphasis, bulkier coats, and an alternate narrow silhouette with small shoulders and waists.{{cite web |title=Schiaparelli, Dior and Lelong Show |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/08/08/archives/schiaparelli-dior-and-lelong-show-bell-silhouettes-pleating-and.html? |website=nytimes.com |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=29 July 2026}} To achieve the look, however, women needed a complicated selection of undergarments which, in itself, caused enough of a stir that [[Pathé News]] made a short film about it.{{cite web |title=New Look Underwear |url=https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/78511/ |website=britishpathe.com |publisher=British Pathé |access-date=30 July 2026}} Each season thereafter, Dior would feature a new "line": the Envol and Cloche lines in 1948, the Pockets and Blused lines in 1949, the Vertical and Oblique lines in 1950, the Oval and Long lines in 1951, the Sinueuse and Profilėe lines in 1952, the Tulipe and Vivante/Cupola lines in 1953, the Muguet/Lily of the Valley and H-Line of 1954, the A-Line and Y-Line in 1955, the Aimant/Magnet line in 1956, and the Libre/Free and Fuseau/Spindle lines of 1957.{{cite web |last1=Borrelli-Persson |first1=Laird |title=Christian Dior's Most Famous Silhouettes in Vogue |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/christian-dior-archival-looks |website=vogue.com |publisher=Vogue |access-date=29 July 2026}}{{cite web |last1=Radieva |first1=Krasimira |title=An Investigation of the Silhouettes of Christian Dior pp 170-172 |url=https://www.academia.edu/81000093/An_Investigation_of_the_Silhouettes_of_Christian_Dior |website=academia.edu |publisher=Trakia University, Academia |access-date=27 July 2026}} Dior's 1954 H-line was met with controversy because it had the effect of binding the torso from the neckline to the hips, and flattened the bust.{{cite web |title=Dior Challenged to Duel Over the Flat Bust Mode |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/08/07/archives/dior-challenged-to-duel-over-the-flat-bust-mode.html |website=nytimes.com |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=29 July 2026}} His intention was to give an impression of youth by freeing the waist and lifting the bust, but critics pronounced the silhouette "flat" and too similar to the [[flapper]] look of the late 1920s. The bust-binding would be fleeting, but the emphasis on youth and a less constrained waist would continue into the 1960s. The tension between heavily structured clothes and more relaxed, comfortable clothes characterized 1950s fashion, with Jacques Fath and [[Simonetta Colonna di Cesarò|Simonetta]] among those favoring heavy structure and [[Coco Chanel|Chanel]] and Balmain on the side of ease and comfort.{{cite web |last1=Ash |first1=Agnes |title=Simonetta Stunned to Find Fashion Trends Ignored |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/10/19/archives/simonetta-stunned-to-find-fashion-trends-ignored-is-it-more.html |website=nytimes.com |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=29 July 2026}} The move toward ease could be seen in several of Dior's collections, and his spring 1952 Sinueuse line comprised soft blouses, cardigans, and skirts. All Dior collections from 1955 onward were less confining, although he, and almost all 1950s designers, presented hobbling [[Hobble skirt#The post–hobble skirt era|sheath skirts]] throughout the decade. The other source of occasional controversy for Dior was hemlines, an obsession in the 1950s. His fall 1953 Cupola line included some skirts that raised the hemline to lengths that were startling to many. Though they still covered the knee, they were short enough to inspire protest—in the US, the anti-Dior Little Below the Knee Club was founded.{{cite web |title=How High? |url=https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/54760/ |website=britishpathe.com |publisher=British Pathé |access-date=30 July 2026}}{{cite web |title=Christian Dior Cuts Skirt Length In Move Disrupting Couture World |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/02/10/archives/christian-dior-cuts-skirt-length-in-move-disrupting-couture-world.html |website=nytimes.com |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=28 July 2026}} His fall 1956 Aimant line contained a handful of day skirts that dropped the hemline almost to the ankle, another startling move to some observers. ====Expansion==== Dior's success was sufficiently rapid that the House of Dior produced accessories of all kinds, including hats, scarves, handbags and jewellery. In 1947, the ground floor of the atelier became Colifichets ("trifles"), a tiny boutique decorated in red and white, which became Dior's first retail store. It was so successful that it eventually expanded to sell ready-to-wear clothing with the Colifichets label. In October 1948, Dior opened his second store, this time on New York's [[Fifth Avenue]], where he offered an exclusive assortment designed specifically for American women and their more casual lifestyle.{{cite web |title=Christian Dior Will Design Clothes Here |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/08/02/archives/christian-dior-will-design-clothes-here-wholesale-salon-to-be.html |website=nytimes.com |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=30 July 2026}} From here, he provided his products to department stores throughout the US and Canada. He was not the first to do so; couturiers such as Fath and [[Marcelle Dormoy]] had been licensing their designs to American clothing manufacturers for some time, and Dessès and Balmain would soon follow. However, with his profitability and Boussac's deep pockets, he was able to offer ready-to-wear clothing, and at a much larger scale. By the one-year anniversary of the store's opening, Dior's products accounted for 75% of French fashion exports and 5% of France’s annual export revenue. In 1949, he toured the US, visiting department stores, hosting shows, and signing new clients. He encountered legal problems when he was called before the [[United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division|American Anti-Trust Division]] for what he described as a "terrifying examination" over his insistence that clients sign a contract to not copy his designs, an experience that taught him that "the pillaging of artistic creation is not only authorized in the United States, but encouraged." Dior was preoccupied with fraud. He learned that forgers were circulating albums of reproduced drawings, writing: "In 1955 alone, more than 1,000 subscribers procured about 300 models [designs] from the collections of the principal French couturiers. One hundred and forty-two of my own models figured in the album, of which 57 were exact copies." His showings strictly prohibited sketching and were carefully policed; buyers had to agree not to allow any of his dresses to be passed on to other members of the fashion trade. Each dress bore a secret mark underneath the lining to catch anyone who broke their word.{{cite web |last1=McGrath Goodman |first1=Leah |title=A Surprisingly Modern Take... |url=https://leahmcgrathgoodman.com/a-surprisingly-modern-take-on-america-from-a-long-dead-frenchman/ |website=leahmcgrathgoodman.com |publisher=Newsweek |access-date=30 July 2026}} In 1953, Dior entered into a collaborative relationship with the American shoe manufacturer Herman Delman who, beginning in 1938, was the employer of the French shoe designer [[Roger Vivier]]. Dior had always worked with the most prominent footwear designer of the time, [[Andre Perugia]]; now he was co-designing shoes with Delman and Vivier. Until 1962, shoes contained the label 'Delman-Dior' or 'Dior-Delman'. The three men worked together; Dior might begin a dress design from a Vivier shoe design, and that design may have been created at the request, or inspiration of, Herman Delman. Delman and Dior established a made-to-order division in Paris, which continued well into the 1960s. Dior created his first fragrance, ''[[Miss Dior]]'', in 1947. To manage Parfums Dior, he partnered with a friend from Granville, Serge Heftler-Louiche, who was the general manager of Parfums [[Coty]]. ''Miss Dior'' was followed by ''Diorama'' in 1948, ''Eau Fraiche'' in 1952, and ''Diorissimo'' in 1956. By then, the House of Dior in Paris had expanded to seven stories and 28 workrooms. Parfums Christian Dior and Christian Dior Hosiery were established in Paris and New York. In 1952, C.D. Models was founded in London, and a replica of the retail boutique was opened in [[Caracas]]. Jacques Rouët had devised a licensing program that now included ties, hosiery, furs, hats, gloves, handbags, jewelry, lingerie, and scarves. Dior's peers at the [[Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode]] denounced this as the cheapening of couture and damaging to the image of high fashion, but Rouët's licensing plan would become the template followed by all large brands going forward. In 1952, the ''New York Times'' reported that "the gross annual income of the eight Christian Dior companies, in France and overseas, comes to $17,000,000."{{cite web |last1=Bertin |first1=Celia |title=New Look at Christian Dior |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/09/05/archives/new-look-at-christian-dior-the-man-behind-the-hline-is-a-gentleman.html |website=nytimes.com |publisher=The New York Times |access-date=31 July 2026}} By the mid-1950s, the Dior empire included eight companies and 16 affiliates, and employed 1,700 people on five continents. By the time the house celebrated its tenth anniversary in 1957, it had sold 100,000 garments. Though only 52, Dior, who was a workaholic and fond of eating, was succumbing to the effects of his life's frenetic pace and had suffered a heart attack. He was planning his retirement and named his 21 year-old assistant [[Yves Saint Laurent (designer)|Yves Saint Laurent]] as his successor.{{Cite web|title=Christian Dior|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/christian-dior|access-date=4 June 2020|website=British Vogue |first=Bibby |last=Sowray |date=5 April 2012|language=en-GB}} After his death that year, the Christian Dior brand continued to grow in all areas; as of 2026, it was valued at over $20 billion (US). ==Personal life and death== Dior's sister [[Catherine Dior|Catherine]] (1917–2008), a member of the [[French Resistance]], was captured by the [[Gestapo]] and spent the war in concentration camps. In 1947, Dior named his debut fragrance, ''Miss Dior'', in tribute to her.{{Cite magazine |last=Ranscombe |first=Sian |date=7 November 2017 |title=An exclusive interview with the nose behind the new Miss Dior perfume |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/fragrance/a13330467/miss-dior-perfumer-francois-demachy-interview/ |magazine=Harper's Bazaar |access-date=18 February 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Pithers |first=Ellie |date=12 November 2013 |title=Who was the original Miss Dior? |url=http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/beauty/news-features/TMG10443967/Who-was-the-original-Miss-Dior.html |work=The Telegraph |access-date=18 February 2024}} The story of Dior’s life during WWII and the following few years is featured in the mini-series ''[[The New Look (TV series)|The New Look]]''. At the other end of the spectrum, Dior's niece [[Françoise Dior]], daughter of this brother Raymond, was dubbed a "true Nazi" and caused an uproar when, in [[Coventry]] in 1963, she married the British [[Neo-Nazism|Neo-Nazi]] politician [[Colin Jordan]].{{cite web |title=Very Nazi Wedding (1963) |url=https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/87033/ |website=britishpathe.com |publisher=British Pathé |access-date=30 July 2026}} Dior was known for being superstitious. Before making important decisions, he consulted his fortune-teller, Madame Delahaye, and his collections frequently featured [[talisman]]ic symbols. He also carried a cluster of lucky charms with him, believing they brought him good fortune.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/womens-style/superstition-clairvoyants-influenced-fashion-designers-christian|title=How superstition and clairvoyants influenced fashion designers from Christian Dior to Coco Chanel|website=The Telegraph|date=11 September 2021 |access-date=2023-09-28 |last1=Picardie |first1=Justine }} Christian Dior owned two homes. In Paris, he lived in a townhouse at 7, boulevard Jules-Sandeau.{{cite web |last1=Footer |first1=Maureen |title=Christian Dior's opulent Parisian townhouse |url=https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/gallery/dior-and-his-decorators-extract |website=houseandgarden.co.uk |publisher=House & Garden Magazine |access-date=30 July 2026}} He also satisfied his long-standing obsession with architecture by buying and renovating the 19th-century [[Château de La Colle Noire]] in [[Montauroux]]; the chateau now belongs to [[Parfums Christian Dior]].{{cite web |last1=Fine Collins |first1=Amy |title=Christian's Symbolism |url=https://www.worldofinteriors.com/story/christian-dior-la-colle-noir-chateau |website=worldofinteriors.com |publisher=World of Interiors |access-date=30 July 2026}} While on vacation in [[Montecatini Terme]], Italy, where he was recuperating from his second heart attack, Dior died of a third attack, on 24 October 1957.{{cite web |title=Dior, 52, Creator Of 'New Look,' Dies |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0121.html |website=nytimes.com |publisher=The Associated Press, The New York Times |access-date=29 July 2026}} He was in the company of his lover, a 23 year-old singer named Jacques Benita, aka Tony Sandro.{{cite web |title=Tony Sandro (1934 - 2005) |url=https://catalog.vassilievfoundation.com/index.php/Detail/entities/2462 |website=vassilievfoundation.com |publisher=Alexandre Vassiliev Foundation |access-date=29 July 2026}}{{Cite web |title=History of Christian Dior S.A. |url=https://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/christian-dior-s-a-history/ |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=FundingUniverse |language=en}} An estimated 9,000 people attended his funeral at the Église [[Saint-Honoré d'Eylau]]. It was a national event. He was buried on the grounds of the Château de la Colle Noire; as his coffin passed through cities and towns en route to his home, it was met with lines of women bearing flowers.{{cite web |title=Death of Christian Dior |url=https://museeyslparis.com/en/biography/le-deces-de-christian-dior |website=museeyslparis.com |publisher=Musée Yves St Laurent |access-date=29 July 2026}} ==Awards and honors== In 1950, Dior was awarded the [[Legion of Honour|Légion d'honneur]], France's highest civilian honor. In 1947, he received the [[Neiman Marcus Fashion Award|Neiman Marcus Award]] for his first collection. In 1956, he received the [[Parsons School of Design]] Distinguished Achievement Award. On March 4, 1957, Dior became the first fashion designer to be featured on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. In 1955, he was nominated for the [[27th Academy Awards|1955 Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]] (Black and White) for the costumes designed for [[Jennifer Jones]] in the 1953 film ''[[Terminal Station (film)|Terminal Station]]''. ==Costume design== {{div col}} *''Le lit à colonnes'', for [[Michèle Alfa]] & [[Odette Joyeux]], 1942 *''[[Love Letters (1942 film)|Love Letters]]'', for Odette Joyeux, 1942 *''Les Roquevillard'', for [[Mila Parély]], 1943 *''[[The Phantom Baron]]'', for Odette Joyeux & [[Jany Holt]], 1943 *''Sylvie and the Ghost'', for Odette Joyeux, 1945 *''[[Pamela (film)|Pamela]]'', for [[Renée Saint-Cyr]] & [[Yvette Lebon]], 1945 *''Échec au roy'', for Odette Joyeux & [[Gabrielle Dorziat]], 1945 *''[[Man About Town (1947 film)|Man About Town]]'', for [[Marcelle Derrien]], 1947 *''Passionnelle'', for Odette Joyeux, 1947 *''Days of Our Years'', for [[Marie Daëms]] & [[Catherine Erard]], 1950 *''[[Stage Fright (1950 film)|Stage Fright]]'', for [[Marlene Dietrich]], 1950 *''[[Les Enfants terribles (film)|Les Enfants terribles]]'', for [[Nicole Stéphane]], 1950 *''[[The Paris Waltz]]'', for [[Yvonne Printemps]] & [[Noëlle Norman]], 1950 *''[[Under the Sky of Paris]]'', for [[Brigitte Auber]], 1951 *''[[No Highway in the Sky]]'', for Marlene Dietrich, 1951 *''[[It Happened in Paris (1952 film)|It Happened in Paris]]'', for [[Evelyn Keyes]], 1952 *''[[Terminal Station (film)|Terminal Station]]'', for [[Jennifer Jones]], 1953 *''Daughters of Destiny'': "Jeanne", for [[Michèle Morgan]], 1954 *''[[Death of a Cyclist]]'', for [[Lucía Bosé]], 1955 *''[[Gentlemen Marry Brunettes]]'', for [[Jane Russell]] & [[Jeanne Crain]], 1955 *''[[Anything Goes (1956 film)|Anything Goes]]'', for [[Mitzi Gaynor]], 1956 *''[[Loser Takes All (film)|Loser Takes All]]'', for [[Glynis Johns]], 1956 *''[[The Ambassador's Daughter]]'', for [[Olivia de Havilland]], 1956 *''[[Paris, Palace Hotel]]'', for [[Tilda Thamar]], 1956 *''Le pays d'où je viens'', for [[Françoise Arnoul]], 1956 *''[[The Little Hut]]'', for [[Rita Hayworth]], 1957 *''[[A Kiss for a Killer]]'', for [[Mylène Demongeot]] & [[Isa Miranda]], 1957 *''[[Indiscreet (1958 film)|Indiscreet]]'', for [[Ingrid Bergman]], 1958 {{div col end}} ==Further reading== *Dior, Christian (1957, original, transl Fraser, Antonia). [https://archive.org/details/bwb_KS-470-271/page/n3/mode/2up ''Dior by Dior'']. London: [[Penguin Books]], Internet Archive *Dior, Christian (1957). [https://archive.org/details/bwb_Y0-BTK-944 ''Christian Dior and I'']. New York: [[E. P. Dutton|Dutton]], Internet Archive *de Marly, Diana (1990). [https://archive.org/details/christiandior0000dema/page/18/mode/2up ''Christian Dior'']. London : [[Batsford Books|B.T. Batsford]], Internet Archive *Pochna, Marie-France (1994). ''Christian Dior''. Paris: [[Groupe Flammarion|Flammarion]] {{ISBN|9782080668929}} *Pochna, Marie-France (1996). ''Christian Dior: The Man Who Made the World Look New''. New York: [[Arcade Publishing]] {{ISBN|9781559703406}} *Pochna, Marie-France (2008). ''Christian Dior: The Biography''. New York: Overlook [[Duckworth Books|Duckworth]] {{ISBN|9781585677023}} *Garcia-Moreau, Guillaume, ''Le château de La Colle Noire, un art de vivre en Provence'', Dior, 2018. [https://www.academia.edu/45102103/Le_château_de_La_Colle_Noire_un_art_de_vivre_en_Provence Read online] ==Documentaries== {{div col}} *''The Christian Dior Story'' (1950) *''[[Person to Person]]'' (Interview), S3.E10 (1955) *''Les actualités Francais'', No. 23 (1957) *''Men, Women and Clothes'': "Informal Clothes" (1957) *''Chroniques de France No. 2'', S1.E2 (1964) *''J'accuse: Christian Dior'' (1991) *''Christian Dior: The Man Behind the Myth'' (2005) *''Dior and I'' (2014) *''Oh Dior!'' (2017) *''Les dessins de Christian Dior'' (2018) {{div col end}} ==Gallery== File:Granville - Maison et Musée de Dior.jpg|Les Rhumbs, the Dior Home and Museum in [[Granville, Manche|Granville]] File:Christian Dior et Serge Heftler-Louiche au carnaval des fleurs de Granville en 1908.jpg|Christian Dior with Serge Heftler-Louiche at a 1908 carnival File:Recueil. "Le lit à colonnes" film de Roland Tual - btv1b105095827 (29 of 38).jpg|Dior's Costume Sketch for ''Le lit à colonnes'', 1942 File:Recueil. "Le lit à colonnes" film de Roland Tual - btv1b105095827 (15 of 38).jpg|Dior's Costume Sketch for ''Le lit à colonnes'', 1942 File:Recueil. "Le lit à colonnes" film de Roland Tual - btv1b105095827 (27 of 38).jpg|Dior's Costume Sketch for ''Le lit à colonnes'', 1942 File:11-6-22, Chantilly, M. Marcel Boussac (propriétaire du cheval gagnant le Prix du Jockey Club) - (photographie de presse) - (Agence Rol).jpg|Marcel Boussac File:Christian Dior, 30 Avenue Montaigne, Paris 2009.jpg|The House of Dior, 30 avenue Montaigne File:Christian_Dior_Fall-Winter_1947_"Zig-Zag"_Collection_Dress_(detail).jpg|The 1947 "Zig-Zag" Dress (detail) File:Woman's Brown and Beige Plaid Coat by Christian Dior - DPLA - 9e9709e24e896a4d21bab3426c8bc486 (page 1).jpg|Plaid Coat, 1947 File:1950c Christian Dior cocktail dress, jacquard-woven silk brocade with metallic threads 01.jpg|A 1950 Metallic Thread Silk Cocktail Dress File:Evita Dior.jpg|[[Eva Perón]] in Dior, 1949 File:Marlene Dietrich Stage Fright Trailer 3.jpg|Marlene Dietrich in a Dior costume for ''Stage Fright'', 1950 File:Friherrinnan Palmstierna i fotsid, plisserad aftonklänning från Christian Dior - Nordiska museet - NMA.0066945.jpg|Baroness Märta Palmstierna in Dior, 1950 File:1949-50 Christian Dior ballgown called 'Henri Sauguet,' white pleated georgette and chiné silk taffeta.jpg|The "[[Henri Sauguet]]" Gown, 1950 File:Dior denver art5.jpg|Detail of a 1950 Ball Gown File:Desica+jjones 1952.jpg|Jennifer Jones in Dior in ''Terminal Station'', 1953 File:1954 Fall-Winter cocktail dress, Christian Dior, black silk satin with fringed sash 04.jpg|Satin Cocktail Dress, 1954 File:1954 Christian Dior strapless evening dress called Nuit d'Espagne, white embroidered cotton 02.jpg|"Nuit d'Espagne", an embroidered cotton Evening Dress, 1954 File:Suit by Christian Dior, 1955, wool, silk, leather - Musée de la mode - Montreal, Canada - DSC07036.jpg|A 1955 Wool Suit File:1957 Dior coat.jpg|A 1957 Cashmere Coat File:Grant Bergman Indiscreet Still.jpg|Ingrid Bergman in Dior in ''Indiscreet'', 1958 File:Christian Dior Paris 2017e.jpg|Gold Embroidered Silk Gown, undated File:Christian Dior Paris Skirt 2017.jpg|Embellished Evening Skirt, undated File:Paris à Janvier (27859397859).jpg|Three Dior Dresses File:Christian Dior Paris 2017d.jpg|Three Dior Dresses File:Stamps of Romania, 2005-002.jpg|Dior on a Romanian Stamp, Cultural Anniversaries Series, 2005 File:Château de La Colle Noire 2016.jpg|Château de La Colle Noire File:Christian Dior 1954.jpg|Dior in 1954 == References == {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category}} {{wikiquote}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071013210607/http://topfoto.co.uk/gallery/Dior/default.htm Photos of Dior and Samples of New Look Fashion] (archived 13 October 2007) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20081006041541/http://www.frenchcx.com/en_films/dior-en.html Documentary film ''Christian Dior, The Man Behind The Myth''] (archived 6 October 2008) *[https://collections.carli.illinois.edu/digital/collection/chm_museum/search/searchterm/christian%20dior Christian Dior] at [[Chicago History Museum]] *[https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/dior-designer-of-dreams?srsltid=AfmBOopgjQ7UJOhtVXvQB00Jhe5bZS6FDgDeV8kat7UXQDjPLgK7_xp8 ''Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams''], [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] *[https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?id_person=A1790&page=1&page_size=15 Christian Dior Collection], Victoria and Albert Museum *[https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?q=Christian+Dior Christian Dior Collection], [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] *[https://www.britishpathe.com/search/?searchQuery=christian+dior Christian Dior Collection], [[Pathé News]] * {{IMDb name|nm0228039}} *[https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/results Christian Dior] at the [[British Film Institute]] {{Grands couturiers}} {{Portal bar|Arts|Fashion|France|LGBTQ|Biography}} {{Authority control (arts)}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Dior, Christian}} [[Category:1905 births]] [[Category:1957 deaths]] [[Category:People from Granville, Manche]] [[Category:French fashion designers]] [[Category:LGBTQ fashion designers]] [[Category:French LGBTQ artists]] [[Category:French military personnel of World War II]] [[Category:Collège Stanislas de Paris alumni]] [[Category:Dior people]] [[Category:20th-century French LGBTQ people]] [[Category:Deaths in Tuscany]] [[Category:20th-century fashion designers]]