Christian Dior 'Lady Dior' Handbag
View Similar Items
Christian Dior 'Lady Dior' Handbag
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: DPPADIO11stDibs: AU131104336283
Christian Dior
When Christian Dior launched his couture house, in 1946, he wanted nothing less than to make “an elegant woman more beautiful and a beautiful woman more elegant.” He succeeded, and in doing so the visionary designer altered the landscape of 20th century fashion.
Dior was born in Granville, on the Normandy coast, in 1905. His prosperous haute bourgeois parents wanted him to become a diplomat despite his interest in art and architecture. However, they agreed to bankroll an art gallery, which Dior opened in 1928 in Paris with a friend.
This was the start of Dior’s rise in the city’s creative milieu, where he befriended Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. After seven years as an art dealer, Dior retrained as a fashion illustrator, eventually landing a job as a fashion designer for Robert Piguet, and in 1941, following a year of military service, he joined the house of Lucien Lelong. Just five years later, with the backing of industrialist Marcel Boussac, the ascendant Dior established his own fashion house, at 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Just two years after the end of World War II, the fashion crowd and the moribund haute couture industry were yearning, comme tout Paris, for security and prosperity, desperate to discard the drab, sexless, utilitarian garb imposed by wartime deprivation. They needed to dream anew.
And Dior delivered: He designed a collection for a bright, optimistic future. “It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian!” exclaimed Carmel Snow, the prescient American editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, famously proclaiming, “Your dresses have such a new look.” The press ran with the description, christening Dior’s debut Spring/Summer haute couture collection the New Look. “God help those who bought before they saw Dior,” said Snow. “This changes everything.”
Dior’s collection definitively declared that opulence, luxury and femininity were in. His skirts could have 40-meter-circumference hems, and outfits could weigh up to 60 pounds. They were cut and shaped like architecture, on strong foundations that molded women and “freed them from nature,” Dior said. Rather than rationing, his ladies wanted reams of fabric and 19-inch waists enforced by wire corsets, and the fashion world concurred. The debut got a standing ovation.
In the subsequent decade, Paris ruled as the undisputed fashion capital of the world, and Christian Dior reigned as its king. With the luxuriously full skirts of his New Look, suits and his drop-dead gorgeous evening dresses and ball gowns worthy of any princess, Dior gave women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of war.
On 1stDibs, find an exquisite range of vintage Christian Dior clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items.
- Chanel Black Lambskin Quilted Mini KellyBy ChanelLocated in London, GBA true '90s icon, this minimalist mini is a must-have in any Chanel collectors collection. Crafted from black lambskin quilted leather, this rare and versatile pre-owned vintage Mini...Category
1990s Top Handle Bags
- Prada Black and Orange Nylon pouchBy PradaLocated in London, GBPerfectly sized to fit your makeup collection or for weekends away. This pre-owned Prada cosmetic pouch has been designed from black nylon and fea...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
- Hermès Vintage Mini Kelly 20 Sellier Shiny Black GHWBy HermèsLocated in London, GBExperience timeless luxury with this exquisite vintage Mini Kelly 20 Sellier, crafted from sleek black shiny croc leather and finished with shimm...Category
1990s Top Handle Bags
- Special Order Tri-colour Togo Kelly Retourne 35cmBy HermèsLocated in London, GBThe pinnacle of luxury, this pre-owned 2014 Hermès Tri-colour Kelly 35 special order bag has been expertly crafted from Togo leather - a favoured Hermès hide for its texture and dur...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
- UNIQUE MADE TO ORDER Prada Colour Block HandbagBy PradaLocated in London, GBThis yellow and pink crocodile leather colour block tote from Prada features foldover top with twist-lock closure, gold-tone hardware, a panelled colour block design, an internal zip...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Top Handle Bags
- Hermes Kelly Sylvestre Mauve 25By HermèsLocated in London, GBA true testament to the quality of the house's craftsmanship, this pre-owned Hermes Kelly 25 excludes timeless style and elegance. Crafted from smooth Veau Swift Leather in Mauve Sylvestre this piece is a sophisticated statement perfect for styling with a summer look. Finished with gold-tone hardware, this bag features the classic twist-lock fastening and the signature Kelly bag strap...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags
- Fendi BLACK ZUCCA CANVAS & CALFSKIN LEATHER VINTAGE MAMA BAGUETTEBy FendiLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireFendi BLACK ZUCCA CANVAS & CALFSKIN LEATHER VINTAGE MAMA BAGUETTE CONDITION NOTES The exterior is in excellent condition with light signs of use. The interior is in excellent condit...Category
2010s Italian Top Handle Bags
- Chanel Vintage Black Quilted Lambskin Leather Medium Bowling BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Vintage Black Quilted Lambskin Leather Medium Bowling Bag Measurements: 13.5" Width x 10" Height x 3.5" Depth This bag is done in black quilted lambskin leather with gold ha...Category
1990s French Tote Bags
- Christian Dior Lady Dior Bag Cannage Braided Leather Limited EditionBy Christian DiorLocated in Geneva, CHAmazing work of art of Macramé style at the Dior House for this Limited Edition and New Lady Dior bag with its shoulder strap. It is crafted in braid...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Top Handle Bags
$6,457 Sale Price25% Off - Limited Edition Hermes Blue Bolide Shark Monster BagBy HermèsLocated in Paris, FRAmazing Hermes Bolide bag with its happy shark, created in 2015/2016. A collectible piece ! Made of Togo leather. Size 45. Comes with lock, key, clochette, and its original dustbag. ...Category
2010s French Top Handle Bags
- Ingber 1960s Evening Box BagLocated in Alford, MA1960s Ingber box-shaped bag in black featuring a rope top handle and a jeweled clasp. Open to reveal a red interior with side compartment. Plenty of room for phone and essentials.Category
1960s American Evening Bags and Minaudières
- TYLER ELLIS Poppy Handbag Small in Black Ostrich Feathers with Gunmetal HardwareBy Tyler EllisLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe Poppy handbag small is featured in black ostrich feathers with gunmetal detail. This soft handbag is designed with a Lucite handle and our custom half-metal frame topped with our...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Top Handle Bags
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Too Soon for the Return of ’90s Fashion? As If
There's a renewed appreciation for the era's aesthetic, perhaps most notably among millennials seeking authentic, easy style.
14 Iconic Luxury Handbags and the Stories behind Them
When the name of a bag is as well-known as its brand, you know it's a classic.