“Everything that was part of my life or what I wanted to do was reflected in my dresses”
-Christian Dior
If you don't know what Granville is, you don't know anything about Dior. Christian Dior was born in the small French town of Granville in Normandy on January 1, 1905. His birthplace was extremely important to him, and his superstitious nature and tendency to enchant reality meant that every collection presented on the catwalk had to include a project named Granville.
Christian recalled his origins
“My childhood home was an architectural nightmare. However, my memories of it are among the warmest and most wonderful I have. I owe it my life and my style. The house facade was in a delicate pink shade with a grey gravel spread in front of the house. As I later found out, these were the two colors that most often appeared in my projects.” Dior worshipped his mother with whom he had a deep connection – they shared a passion for gardening and flowers, hence the rural residence, located away from urban noise, was a true paradise on earth for him. When he was just 5 years old, the Dior family moved to the capital, leaving behind their idyllic life surrounded by nature.
The artistic development of Christian Dior in the fascinating times of art nouveau
His father owned a chain of factories producing natural fertilizers, which allowed the Dior family to lead a prosperous life. His parents planned to educate their son as a professional diplomat. He himself, although dreaming of an architectural direction, convinced them that he should study at a university at the Institute of Political Sciences. However, his painting talent and passion for art quickly overcame these sensible decisions.
Dior was a proud resident of post-war Paris. Circulating among artists, musicians, poets, and painters, he enjoyed every second spent among people cultivating the art of living. It was during this time that he made friendships that influenced his artistic development. He belonged to the so-called Le Club, which met once a week at the Tip Toes bar on Rue Tronchet. The meetings were also attended by painter Christian Berard, poet Max Jacob, and writer Rene Crevel.
When Christian's friend, Jacques Bonjean, was looking for a partner to run a small art gallery, the family decided to help him make this decision and invested money in the business. This gallery was run by Dior until the great crisis in 1929. It was there that he had the opportunity to interact with the art of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and Alexander Calder.
Art in wartime and beloved Miss Dior
Dior, looking for his destiny and deprived of his income-generating art gallery, was forced to take up new work. He found his place in the studio of Robert Piguet where his talent for designing attire was quickly noted. He thought of his designs like architectural tasks: each form tailored to the silhouette should be properly constructed, and the colors chosen like paints for a canvas.
His career was interrupted by the period of World War II and his call to the army in 1940. Released from military service in 1942, Dior took up work at the fashion house of Lucien Lelong, which, to survive in the market, prepared creations for the wives of Nazi Germany officers. During World War II, Christian's sister was sent to work in the Ravensbrück camp for her conspiracy activities. Fortunately, she managed to survive the inhumane conditions in which she was kept and waited for the liberation of the camp. In her honor, in 1947 Christian Dior named the first fragrance created by him Miss Dior. This symbolic gesture carried with it a much larger emotional baggage than one might think. Dior remembered:
"What I remember most about the women of my childhood is their scent, lingering in the air long after they've gone. I watched them closely, admiring their silhouettes. Like all boys my age, I was intrigued by their elegance, but it never occurred to me that one day I would become a famous fashion designer!"
The beginnings of the Dior fashion house
After the end of World War II, in 1946, Christian Dior founded his first fashion house, and his debut collection presented a year later knocked critics off their feet. Dior restored the splendor to women's creations, giving them full form and using noble materials.
However, his collection also met with a wave of criticism – the war period slowed down the economy, and clothes were made from rationed fabric allocations. Due to the large amount of material used to construct heavily pleated ankle-length skirts and the use of numerous costume accessories such as large hats and handbags, the creations were very expensive.
Due to the break with the sad, wartime standard of women's clothing, it was dubbed the new look. His collections quickly became synonymous with luxury and wealth. Dior loved to emphasize the natural beauty of the female silhouette, provocatively revealing the shoulders and strongly emphasizing the slim waist.
Christan Dior – synonym of luxury
The revolutionary look of Dior's dresses attracted a host of real starlets and world aristocracy to his workshop. His clients included, among others: Marlena Ditrich, Rita Hayworth, and Grace Kelly. In 1948, Dior opened his first store on Manhattan's luxurious 5th Avenue.
The innovative approach to fashion began to transfer elements of couture luxury into everyday wear. The designer quickly expanded his business to the production of exclusive accessories such as handbags, gloves, hats, shoes, and perfumes – he believed that without these elements, women's style is not complete.
In 1955, the growing and efficiently operating team of the Dior fashion house was joined by the barely 19-year-old Yves Saint Laurent, who already then attracted attention with his talent.
Epitaph for a genius
The prominent career of Christian Dior was ended by premature death caused by a heart attack.
The staff, unable to cope with the thought that the rising star of the Dior fashion house could extinguish so quickly, determined and loyal to Dior master, decided to continue his work, and the lead was given to young Saint Laurent. This is how a new chapter in the history of fashion began…
