56 Years

Last Wednesday, fifty six years ago, my most favourite fashion designer died. Personally, I think he was the best fashion designer who has ever walked this earth. Some may say it was Coco, Yves, of Louis, but for me, without a doubt, it has always been Mr.Dior. 

Christian was born in Granville which is on the coast of Normandy, France on the the 21st of January, 1905. His family were very wealthy. He had four siblings, and when Christian was four years old, they family moved to Paris. All his life, his family had pressurised Dior into become a diplomat, but Christian was naturally gifted in art, and that was all he wanted to do. To make money, he sold his fashion sketches on the road outside his house, and sold them for 10 cents each. After Christian left school, his family provided him with money to start his own art gallery, in which he sold the likes of Picasso. After his mother died, and a financial downfall in the family's business, the gallery was ordered to close. From then, he worked with a local fashion designer, until he was called up to be in the military. After a couple of years service in the army, he began working at the fashion house, Lelong. His main occupation there was to dress Nazi wives.

On the 8th of December 1946, he started his own fashion house, and as we all know, called it the 'House of Dior'. His first collection was called 'Corolle', which he made and designed in early 1947. His initial response from the ladies of Paris was negative, as they were not appreciative of the amounts of fabric used in his designs, but he eventually become popular and his work spread throughout France. His designs were labelled as the 'New Look' which, after sometime, completely revolutionised Women's fashion. He also brought out several perfumes, which are still around today. the first Dior boutique was opened in 1954. He also brought out many lines of cosmetics, the first one being a simple lipstick. The House of Dior soon expanded all over the world, and became one of the most famous brands of luxury goods. After only eleven years fulfilling his dream, on the 23rd of October 1957, Christian Dior died of a heart-attack while on holiday in Italy, aged 52. After his death, Jacques Rouet, the general manager was left in control of the whole empire. Eventually, he decided against closing the business. He employed Yves Saint Laurent as the artistic director, and I suppose you could say the rest is history. Although it has been fifty-six years since Dior died, his legacy and fashion most certainly lives on.

Christian Dior-1905-1957