Christian Dior, perhaps the most well-known French couturier, was born in Granville, Normandy in 1905. You can visit his childhood home still today. It overlooks the sea and has lovely gardens. His favorite colors of grey and very soft pink were inspired from the decor of this home. Dior’s timeless elegance in fashion draws its inspiration from Granville, the childhood home that shaped his creativity. Explore Villa Les Rhumbs, linger in its garden so as to take the first steps towards his creations and discover the very essence of his art.
A pale pink rose from the gardens at Les Rhumbs. Photo by FUSAC
In 1910 the family moved to Paris, but kept the Granville home for summer escapades. During the roaring 20s, Christian Dior rubbed shoulders with the cultural milieu in Paris and making friends with the artists, painters, writers, musicians, and designers of the time. HIs first foray into business was to open an art gallery to show the works of his favorite painters which included Picasso, Braque, Matisse, and Dufy. The Golden Age ended with his mother’s death and the collapse of his father’s business in 1931. Christian was on his own and earned a living with this illustration talents. He sold his drawings to milliners and couture houses including Jean Patou, Schiaparelli, Worth, Balenciaga and others. He also worked as an illustrator for Le Figaro newspaper and Jardin des Modes magazine.
« In 1938, Piguet asked me to go and work for him as a house designer. I was thrilled at the offer and instantly accepted. At last, I would get to know the mysterious means by which an idea is transformed into a dress; I would make a shy, but fascinated, entrance into the universe of premières and workrooms. » — Christian Dior, Dior by Dior, 1958
When World War II broke out and Christian was mobilized for a year before joining his father and sister in free France. Post war he was back in fashion houses as a designer. He then broke out on his own in 1946 bankrolled by textile industrialist Marcel Boussac. Christian Dior couture house opened at 30 Avenue Montaigne, with three ateliers and a staff of 85 people. The same address still houses Dior today.
The first collection was received with enthusiasm. Carmel Snow, the editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, declared: “My dear Christian, your dresses have such a New Look!” Featuring rounded shoulders, a cinched waist, and very full skirt, the New Look celebrated femininity. His delicate forms were highly apprediated after years of military and civilian uniforms, restrictions and shortages. Dior offered not merely a new look but a new outlook in the post war euphoria. He said it best, « Dresses should blosom like buds of the apple tree. » He was off to the races and the next year brought Dior to New York. Dior’s untimely death in 1957 left the fashion world without a great stylist. Christian Dior designed under his own name for only a decade, but his influence will be felt for many years to come.
Visit La Galerie Dior in Paris for a date with Christian Dior. It’s as close as you can get to meeting this legendary designer. Journalist Kasia Dietz describes this stylish experience in the City Guide Urbansider.
“Fashion designers offer one of the last refuges of the marvelous. They are, in a way, the masters of dreams…” — Christian Dior, Dior by Dior, 1958
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