Christian Dior

French fashion designer (1905–1957)

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Fame64.7
Momentum12.5
Designers rank#23
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Lived 1905–1957, aged 52France

France DesignersDesigner

Wikipedia
68 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1905–1957
Aged 52
Known for
Oh, Dior!
2017

Summary

Updated 2026-08-24

He gave postwar Paris a new silhouette — rounded shoulders, nipped waist, skirts that swallowed fabric and revived an industry still in rationing. The "New Look" landed in 1947 like a provocation, and within a decade his name was on five continents.

Biography

About

Christian Ernest Dior was born 21 January 1905 in France. During World War II, his skills kept him employed designing for fashion icons while the industry fought to survive. After the war he founded his own house and in 1947 debuted the collection that changed everything: the "New Look," with its rounded shoulders, cinched waist, and very full skirt — a return to opulence and ultra-femininity that split opinion and won. Within ten years, Christian Dior SE had gained prominence on five continents. He died 24 October 1957, but the awards for costume design kept coming long after.

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Christian Dior

Christian Dior

said1957

My dream is to save women from nature.

— In: Newsweek, Vol. 50, Nr 19-26, (1957), p. 44

Christian Dior

saidApr 1956

Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest.

— Quoted in Ladies' Home Journal, April 1956

Christian Dior

said1949

I know very well the women. The short skirt was never a good fashion — very vulgar. The American women will accept the new fashions. You can never stop the fashions.

— In: Malcolm Perrine McNair, ‎Harry L. Hansen (1949) Problems in Marketing. p. 165

Christian Dior

said1 Mar 1948