“After the prolonged stagnation of the war years, I believed there was a genuine unsatisfied desire throughout the world for something new in fashion,” Dior wrote. In his biography, “Christian Dior and I,” the designer recalled that he enjoyed his work at Lelong immensely. “I had neither the responsibility of putting my designs into production nor that of selling them,” he wrote.
His hybrid vision combined eclectic sources of inspiration, highlighting the cultural and artisanal riches of the world through the virtuosic skills of the Dior ateliers. Enhanced by spectacular scenography, each of his shows was conceived as a voyage into the extraordinary. In 1955, aged only 19, Yves Saint Laurent was named assistant to Christian Dior. Following the sudden passing of the founding couturier in October 1957, he became the Creative Director of the House.
Withdrawn and introverted as an adult, he was said to prefer solitaire to canasta. He was also said to continue to be deeply superstitious, pessimistic and prone to consulting mediums for assurance. In 1950, Dior received the French Legion of Honor award for his role in the fashion and textile industry and presented a collection in London to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. In 1938, he was hired by Robert Piguet as a draftsman, playing a role in the romantic fashions that dominated until World War II. Dior’s career was interrupted by the conflict, during which he served as a private first class in the engineering corps.
The garments were opulent, each dress using an average of 20 yards of fabric. Dior’s designs were revolutionary for the time period and quickly put the fashion house on the map as one of the most sought after and adored. After Ferre’s tenure, John Galliano took over as creative director, who led Dior into the new millennium, outfitting every star you can imagine — including Princess Diana of Wales.
The pressure of leading fashion did not escape him, and his tension was said to be palpable through the thick carpets at Avenue Montaigne. He considered his creative work nerve-racking, although at home in his bath he could churn out 100 sketches until he was as wrinkled as a prune. Dior’s career encompassed only 22 collections, but the ideas behind the New Look’s body-enhancing structure reverberated for years. Designs were closely guarded secrets and a threat of jail hung over employees if they leaked information about the next collection. The company was vigilant in tracking down and prosecuting copyists, averaging some 40 lawsuits a year.
williammckee2880 