Christian Dior

John Galliano

The Label

In 1949 Christian Dior changed the direction of mid-century fashion with his extravagantly feminine "New Look." Today, the label's head designer John Galliano has established the look of the "Anything Goes" era with his own extreme makeover of the house.

The Look

Provocative with a capital P. Dior Homme boys are refined grunge rockers—impeccably greasy.

The Designer

John Galliano, womenswear; Hedi Slimane, Dior Homme; Victoire de Castellane, Dior Fine Jewelry.

Selected Lines

* Haute Couture, since 1947
* Haute Fourrier (furs)
* Christian Dior Boutique (deluxe)
* Christian Dior Boutique Fourrier (furs)
* Christian Dior Coordinee (diffusion), discontinued in 1994


Selected Awards

* Neiman-Marcus Award (1947)
* Parsons Medal for Distinguished Achievement (1956)

Official Website

dior.com

Christian Dior

Fashion Designer (1905-1957) was born in Normandy, France. At his parents' insistence, he studied political science. After military service and several years of indecision, he returned to Paris in 1935 and began his design career by selling sketches. His hat designs were initially more successful than his dress designs. But he concentrated on his dress designs and was hired by Robert Piguet in 1938. During the war, he served in the South of France, then returned again to Paris in 1941 and worked for Lucien Lelong, a much larger design house. In 1946, he was able to open his own house, backed by textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac.