Biography
He was raised in Normandy. After completing primary school, Dior relocated with his parents to Paris, where he enrolled at the Ecole de Sciences Politiques. Upon finishing high school and training as a diplomat, Dior launched an art gallery in Paris in 1928, quickly establishing a reputation within the city's elite art circles. Alongside this, he was artistically active, producing numerous drawings and illustrations. Starting in 1931, he created his first fashion works by designing hat sketches commissioned by the magazine "Le Figaro Illustré." In 1937, Dior expanded into designing women's clothing, including costumes, coats, and shoes. By 1938, he was a designer at "Piquet," and in 1940, he became chief designer at "Lelong." Following the German invasion of France in 1940, Dior fled to southern France, remaining there until the war ended in 1945.
With financial support from a wealthy friend of the Boussac family, on December 16, 1946, he moved into a studio on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, where the Dior flagship store still stands today. His first collection debuted on February 12, 1947. Soon after, he founded his own fashion house under the label "Christian Dior" and introduced the perfume "Miss Dior" that same year. His greatest success came in America with the creation of the "New Look," a term coined by Carmel Snow, then editor-in-chief of "Harper's Bazaar." The "New Look" featured feminine, form-fitting bodices with rounded shoulders and wide, flowing skirts. Dior also innovated with color-coordinated accessories, such as delicate hats and cane umbrellas, establishing himself as a pioneering couturier. These designs became known as the "Ligne Corolle" or "Bellflower Line."
Following his success in the USA, Dior established "Christian Dior New York Inc." in 1949, which also participated in ready-to-wear shows in Paris under this name. That same year, he held his first fashion show in Hamburg. Between 1947 and 1950, Pierre Cardin worked for him as a tailor. In 1951, Dior launched the "Dior" trademark for global licensing of his products. In 1953, he appointed young Yves Saint Laurent as his assistant. By 1955, he founded "Christian Dior London Ltd." After the "New Look," Dior introduced a new silhouette each season: the "Tulip Line" (1953–1954), the "H Line" (1954–1955), the "A Line" (summer 1955), and the "Arrow Line" (1956–1957). In April 1957, he became the first fashion designer to appear on the cover of the US "Time Magazine." Dior was regarded as the most influential couturier worldwide.
Christian Dior died of a heart attack on October 24, 1957, in the Italian spa town of Montecatini at the age of 52. Yves Saint Laurent succeeded him as chief designer of the House of Dior later that year.
