April 10, 2017

Text: Annie Block, Athena Waligore, Zoe Kaplan

Christian Dior Rules Haute Couture for 70 Years

Models in the Paris headquarters, 1957. Photography by Loomis Dean/Life Picture Collection/Getty Images.

In 1947, Christian Dior’s debut couture collection, dubbed the “New Look,” was considered revolutionary. From bust-accentuating jackets to billowing skirts, it presented groundbreaking opulence after wartime restrictions. The collection was a success, and growth followed quickly. In the space of seven years, the house employed over 1,000 people. After Dior’s death in 1957, innovative designing continued under the creative direction of Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and now Maria Grazia Chiuri.

A photograph of model Kylie Bax wearing a 1997 Christian Dior, Paris, gown designed by then creative director, John Galliano, will appear in “The House of Dior: 70 Years of Haute Couture,” at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. Photography by Trunk Archive.

“The House of Dior: 70 Years of Haute Couture,” at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, starting August 27, celebrates this rich history by featuring garments alongside accessories and archival sketches and photographs.

> See more from the March 2017 issue of Interior Design

A label from 2012. Photography by Pol Baril.

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