Fresh at the helm of Dior, Raf Simons presented his debut spring/summer 2013 ready-to-wear collection with a silhouette from the past, the “New Look,” that designer Christian Dior made famous in 1947. The post-World War II hourglass shape exaggerated the female form with its structured bodice, tiny nipped-in waist, and long circle skirts that used several yards of fabric, unlike the slim, fabric-rationed skirts that women wore during wartime.
In Simons’s collection, models channeled classic Dior femininity in long voluminous floral skirts and simple black shirts, some long-sleeved and some short-sleeved with an oh-so Parisian black scarf tied around the neck. These “New Look”-inspired ensembles seemed like a nod of appreciation from Simons to the brand’s original couturier.
Jean Styles You Can Wear All Year Around
About Christian Dior
Christian Dior was born January 21, 1905, in Granville, France, a town on the coast of Normandy, to a wealthy chemical fertilizer manufacturer. He attended the School of Political Science of the University of Paris with intentions of entering a career in diplomacy. At 23, he became an art dealer instead and was said to have exhibited art by his friends Salvador Dali and Jean Cocteau.
During the Great Depression, his family lost much of their wealth, so Dior began illustrating hats for The Figaro Illustrated. His hat designs struck a chord with Parisian women and local milliner Place Vendome, which ordered Dior’s collections. After designing briefly for designer Robert Piguet, Dior served in the French Army as a private first class in the Engineers in World War II.
When he returned, Dior designed for Lucien Lelong in 1941.
The House of Dior
On December 16, 1946, the House of Dior was born; the same year the French Ministry of Production lifted cloth rations. French cotton millionaire Marcel Boussac backed Dior and his salon. Because Dior reestablished France as the center of the fashion world after World War II, the French Government awarded him the Legion of Honor for his accomplishments.
Dior, who always wore conservative suits and ties, was nicknamed “Cri-Cri” by close friends. The hard-working designer reportedly went into seclusion twice a year and sketched new designs while soaking in his bathtub.
Maison Dior is still located in its original home at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Dior’s “New Look”
Presented in early 1947, Dior’s first collection was titled “Corolle” which means corolla, connected flower petals — an apt name to describe the collection of voluminous skirts that enveloped women like flowers. Coined by Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Carmel Snow, the “New Look” steered completely clear of the austere wartime silhouettes constructed with shorter hemlines due to rationed fabric. The “New Look” was a return to femininity, even heightened femininity with its structured bustier bodices, nipped-in waists, peplums and full skirts that flared out from the waist and created an exaggerated hourglass figure.
Dior later wrote: “We were emerging from the period of war, of uniforms, of women-soldiers built like boxers. I drew women-flowers, soft shoulders, fine waists like liana and wide skirts like corolla.” Socialites flocked to Dior’s “New Look” designs, no doubt hungry for beauty, elegance and luxury that World War II had stripped from fashion.
Dior’s goal was “to make elegant women more beautiful; to make beautiful women more elegant.” Other Dior silhouettes are the H-line or flat look, the Oval, the Tulip, the Zigzag, the Vertical and the Profile. Coco Chanel once said that Dior “upholstered” women instead of dressing them, according to “Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible.”
Christian Dior’s Death
On October 23, 1957, just ten years after the “New Look” transformed the fashion world, Dior died at age 52 of a heart attack while on vacation in Montecatini, Italy, at Hotel La Place, according to Dior’s New York Times obituary. Conflicting reports say he died after choking on a fish bone, after playing a card game or even after a sexual encounter, but the actual causes remain unknown.
Although his career was short, Dior’s influence on fashion will continue to live on — especially if Dior creative director Raf Simons has a say.
The “New Look” Today
You don’t have to buy vintage Dior to flaunt the “New Look” today. It’s easy to mix and match vintage and contemporary pieces to achieve this classic silhouette. When shopping at a vintage store, find pieces dated late 1940s through 1950s and follow these tips:
Blouse: Select a fitted blouse with a tapered waist and darts that accentuate the bust. Or try a fitted peplum jacket or structured top with corseted construction. A fitted black cotton T-shirt, as shown in Dior’s spring/summer 2013 collection, modernizes the look.
Skirt: To keep it modern, go for a full circle skirt that hits around the knees or at the ankles — a skirt that hits the middle of the calves can be a tricky, sometimes matronly, hemline. Make sure the waistline nips in your mid-section.
Shoes: Opt for classic pointed-toe pumps.
Accessories: Throw on a black scarf for Parisian oomph or elbow-length gloves for a more formal event.
Sources
“Dior, 52, Creator of ‘New Look,’ Dies,” by The Associated Press, The New York Times, October 24, 1957.
“Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible,” by Tim Gunn, with Ada Calhoun. New York: Gallery Books, 2012.
“The New Look: The Dior Revolution,” by Nigel Cawthorne. London: Hamlyn, 1996.
“Turning Points: New Look,” Voguepedia, Vogue.com.
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