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Spain Christian Dior | Designer Review
Friday, 31 January 2020
French fashion house, Christian Dior, was founded in 1946 with a vision to embrace and develop designs in-keeping with the haute couture style of the era. The iconic brand is renowned for their beautifully feminine styles and continues to offers elegance, femininity and innovative designs for fashion lovers.
Christian Dior, or simply Dior as it's now known, is today an elite fashion house responsible for creating some of our favourite looks, styles and trends.
Dior’s debut collection consisted of 90 different looks and came in two lines named “Corolle” and “Huit” featuring full bell-shaped skirts, bare rounded shoulders, and cinched waists. The fashion press christened his designs as the “New Look.”
In Christian Dior's memoirs, he wrote “Dresses are everything to me” and the brand today has stayed faithful to the couture spirit yet now offers more options to fill your wardrobe with. Artistically reflecting the heritage of Dior, the clothing and shoe collections continue to blend elegance and modernity.
“High heels? Painful pleasure.” ― Christian Dior
Although an instant success, some were not so keen protesting the designer’s excessive use of fabric after the extreme frugality of the wartime rationing. Also, feminists argued the New Look was oppressive, requiring restrictive garments such as the corset, crinoline, and padding to create the proper silhouette rivalling what Coco Chanel was achieving with clothes that were designed to be comfortable, elegant, and easy to wear.
However, Christian Dior did help in keeping Paris as one of the fashion capitals in the world. His creations were post-war cultural symbols that represented “youth, hope, and the future” for many.
However, Christian Dior did help in keeping Paris as one of the fashion capitals in the world. His creations were post-war cultural symbols that represented “youth, hope, and the future” for many.
“Like all your garments, your bag deserves your attention,” ― Christian Dior
Originally released in 1994 under the name ''Chouchou'', the Lady Dior was presented to Princess Diana by Bernadette Chirac, then-First lady of France, as a token of French culture when the Princess was visiting the Cézanne exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. Princess Diana adored the bag and wore it to every and all occasion possible and in 1996 the bag was renamed the ‘Lady Dior’ with her blessing and in her honour.
The Lady Dior bags are continued to be made by Dior in the sizes of micro, mini, medium and large ranging from £2,300 - £3,600. Designer Exchange's Lady Dior collection starts at just £750. See the collection here
Created in the spring / summer collection in 1999, the Saddle bag is a rarity in that it came, it went and now it's back and bigger than ever. After it's launch, the piece was extremely popular with everyone wearing it - even immortalised on Carrie Bradshaw - and it became a classic piece for the brand. However, with time, the trend came and went meaning many forgot about this piece and it was written off as a vintage bag of the past.
But, in 2014, Beyoncé - who must have dug deep into the back of her closet - was photographed wearing a Saddle bag and in an instant, it was talked about again. Within a few years, everyone had got theirs out their closet and was following the trend again. With the popularity rising, Dior brought back the iconic silhouette.
Saddle bags direct from Dior can cost £1,950 - £3,800. At Designer Exchange, our collection starts at £150. View the collection here.
But, in 2014, Beyoncé - who must have dug deep into the back of her closet - was photographed wearing a Saddle bag and in an instant, it was talked about again. Within a few years, everyone had got theirs out their closet and was following the trend again. With the popularity rising, Dior brought back the iconic silhouette.
Saddle bags direct from Dior can cost £1,950 - £3,800. At Designer Exchange, our collection starts at £150. View the collection here.
And finally we have the Diorama which is a very modern box-bag style similar to the Boy Bag released by Chanel. The Diorama launched in the Spring / Summer 2015 runway collection and instantly became a classic. It was a bag for a woman of any age yet hit a homer with a younger generation looking for all the class of a Lady Dior with a newer feel.
Diorama pieces direct from Dior can cost £1,200 - £3,000. At Designer Exchange, our collection starts at £495. View the collection here.
Diorama pieces direct from Dior can cost £1,200 - £3,000. At Designer Exchange, our collection starts at £495. View the collection here.
Quick Trivia
- The oblique monogram print was first seen in 1967 making it over 50 years old.
- Christian’s Dior's sister Catherine was as a member of the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation during World War Two
- Christian’s Dior's sister Catherine was as a member of the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation during World War Two
- The highly coveted 'Dior Book Tote' takes 37 hours to make using 1.5 million hand-sewn stitches.
- Almost 20 years passed between the launch of the Saddle bag and it's relaunch.
- Almost 20 years passed between the launch of the Saddle bag and it's relaunch.
- When Christian Dior died, he was succeeded by Yves Saint Laurent (who he chose himself).
- In his first clothing collection the average dress used up 20 yards of fabric.
