Edited by Stephanie Mao

Nom:

Christian Dior

Pays Ville:

Granville, France

Details Personnels:

Bonjour! Je m'appelle Christian Dior and I  was born on January 21, 1905 in Granville, France.  My parents wanted to me to become a diplomat so I studied political sciences at l'Ecole des Sciences Politiques for five years.  However, I was never interested in politics and only wished to be involved in the arts, be it fashion or sketching.  To make money, I  sold my sketches on the street for 10 cents each.  In 1928, my father gave me money to open an art studio, where I  sold my art along the likes of Pablo Picasso.  After a family financial disaster, my father lost his business and I was forced to close down my studio.  But in 1942, after spending two long years in the miliary, things started to look up.  I  joined the fashion house of Lucien Lelong where I  was one of his primary designers.  My career officially started on October 8, 1946 when I  opened my own fashion house, known around the world as the House of Dior.  Currently, the House of Dior operates 160 boutiques worldwide.

Date de Naissance:

January 21, 1905 in Granville,  France

Date de Mort:

October 24, 1957 in Montecatini, Italy

Sexe:

 Male

Situation de Famille:

He came from a weathly family and was the second of five children.  Christian Dior never married and did not have any children.

Metier:

• Served as French diplomat, 1925-1928
• Served as French army, 1927-1928
• Art dealer in Paris, 1928-1931
• Fashion designer for Lucien Lelong, 1941-1946
• Fashion designer for House of Dior, 1946-1957

 Interets/Loisirs:

• Art/Art dealing
• Fashion
• Sketching

Accomplissements:

• He re-established Paris as the fashion capital of the world during the standstill in World War II.
• His first collection, the Corolle Line, was deemed "The New Look" by the fashion press.  It included round shoulders, a cinched waist and bell-shaped skirt.
• During his ten years of fame, none of his collections failed commericially or critically.

Prix:

• Neiman Marcus award-1947,
• Remise de la legion d'honneur a Christian Dior-1950,
• Parsons School of Design Distinguished Achievement award -1956,
• Fashion Industry Foundation award-1990

Education:

He studied political science at l'Ecole des Sciences Politiques in Paris from 1920 to 1925.

Personnage que je voudrais rencontrer et pourquoi:

I look up to Lucien Lelong, because it was at his design house that I gained first-hand experience in designing clothes.  It was also at the house of Lelong that I made a name for myself and became the designer that I am now known for.

Citation Memorable:

"It is unforgivable to do what one doesn't love especially if one succeeds." -Christian Dior

Mon Influence sur la Culture Francaise:

     In early 1947, Christian Dior released his first collection called Corolle, roughly translated to petal in English.  It was also called the "New Look" by the fashion press.  At first the rounded shoulders, emphasis of the bust, cinched waist and curvaceous bell-shaped skirt of the clothing was not received well by the public, especially the women.  Feminists argued that it was an attempt to bring back the oppressed, decorative role of women as it placed heavy emphasis on the restrictive padding and corset.  Others were shocked at the large use of extravagent fabrics while clothes were being rationed and many people felt that it was not appropiate for the time period.  However in 1946, it soon became a post-war symbol when the World War II cloth rationing was lifted.  During the war, Paris had lost its title as the fashion capital of the world, but Christian Dior's "New Look" re-established it.

     In the next ten years of Dior's fame, he had created a new fashion era, one that nobody had seen before.  As each collection came out, he never disappointed, constantly creating clothes that the public loved.   His designs changed the shape of women's fashion and throughout the 1950s, the fashion world looked to Paris and Dior for inspiration and style.  Along with dresses, he also designed jewelry, scarves, men's ties, furs, stockings, gloves and ready-to-wear clothing.  It is because of Christian Dior's successes that Paris is known as the fashion capital of the world and Dior one of the most influential designers of the 20th and 21st century.

Resources:

     "Christian Dior."   Contemporary Fashion.  2nd ed.  Gale Research, 2002.  Biography Resource Center.  Farmington Hills: Gale, 2009  <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC>

     "Christian Dior."   Contemporary Authors Online.  2nd ed.  Gale Research, 2002.  Biography Resource Center.  Farmington Hills: Gale, 2009  <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC>

     "Christian Dior."   Encyclopedia of World Biography.  2nd ed.  17 Vols.  Gale Research, 2002.  Biography Resource Center.  Farmington Hills: Gale, 2009  <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC>