{"id":2425,"date":"2015-11-06T15:30:49","date_gmt":"2015-11-06T19:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/?p=2425"},"modified":"2019-09-27T11:53:07","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T15:53:07","slug":"dior-from-new-look-to-new-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/2015\/11\/06\/dior-from-new-look-to-new-talent\/","title":{"rendered":"Dior: From New Look to New Talent"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"dior-photos-mark-shaw\"<\/a>
Photo by Mark Shaw, taken at Dior’s home, 1953.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Welcome to our new series about venerable design houses and the changes brought by new designers.\u00a0 This is the brainchild of the wonderful Shannen Lindsey, one of our students.<\/p>\n

\"1<\/a>
Fan-draped dress, by Dior, in Vogue 1948<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The big couture houses, we hope, will survive profitably for far longer than the lifespan of their original designers.\u00a0 This series will take a look at the new designers hired by several couture houses.\u00a0 This spot will be published at the beginning of the next few months, here on Volumes & Issues.<\/p>\n

Christian Dior, founder, 1946-1957<\/strong><\/p>\n

Christian Dior came of age in the artistic cauldron of Paris between WWI and WWII.\u00a0 His creative development began when he opened an art gallery.\u00a0 Despite (or possibly because of)\u00a0 showing such artists as Salvator Dali, Pablo Picasso, Raoul Dufy and Georges Braque, the gallery failed.\u00a0 In 1935,\u00a0 after a bout of tuberculosis, Dior found himself in Paris and broke.\u00a0 He took up fashion drawing, inspired by established designers Molyneux, Chanel, Schiaparelli, and Lanvin.\u00a0 By 1938, his abilities had grown enough that Robert Piguet offered him a position as designer in his couture studio.<\/p>\n

\"Christian<\/a>
Christian Dior, fashion designer (1905-1957)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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After WWII, Dior returned to Paris, where he worked for Lucien Lelong alongside Pierre Balmain.\u00a0 By 1946, Dior had put together financial backing.\u00a0 He opened his own couture house in October.\u00a0 Although grounded in his avant-garde youth, Dior’s fashion vision recalled a romanticized Gilded Age.\u00a0 After wartime shortages, this nostalgic vision of women draped in yards of luxurious cloth was a radical shift in fashion, and was quickly dubbed “The New Look” by the fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Dior’s lavish designs were a big hit and influenced fashion at all price points for the next decade.\u00a0 He is widely credited for bringing the French couture industry back to life after WWII.\u00a0 He also helped create the designer ready-to-wear industry and the designer boutique, encouraging women to wear his design vision from head to toe.<\/p>\n

In 1957, Christian Dior died unexpectedly of a heart attack.<\/p>\n

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For more details, see these FIT references:<\/p>\n

FITDB-Oxford Art Online: Dior<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

FITDB-Berg Fashion Library: Dior<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Metropolitan Museum of Art also has a terrific collection of Dior’s work<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Yves Saint Laurent, Principal Designer 1957 \u2013 1960<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Yves<\/a>
Yves Saint Laurent working on his “Trapeze” line for Dior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After showing him sketches resembling Dior’s “H” line, Saint Laurent was introduced to Christian Dior by the editor of French Vogue<\/em>.\u00a0 Dior hired him immediately.\u00a0 After Dior’s sudden death in 1957, St. Laurent became head of the House of Dior at the age of 21.\u00a0\u00a0 His initial collections were well received, but his Beat Collection of 1960, was a step too modern for the traditional Dior customer.<\/p>\n

He was drafted into the army in the fall, and swiftly replaced as designer by Marc Bohan.\u00a0 In 1961 he opened his own fashion house, and went on to make his mark under his own name.<\/p>\n

For more details on YSL, check out these resources:<\/p>\n

FITDB-Oxford Art Online: St. Laurent<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

FITDB-Berg Fashion Library: St. Laurent<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Marc Bohan, Principal Designer 1960-1989<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bohan entered the rarified French fashion industry in 1945 with a job at Piguet.\u00a0 He spent a few years after that working at Molyneux, then joined Patou in 1950.\u00a0 Dior recruited him from there to run the London branch of the house of Dior.\u00a0 When St. Laurent proved to be a bad fit for the Dior customer, Bohan was appointed new head of the Paris workrooms.<\/p>\n

\"bohan<\/a>
Marc Bohan with his models, for Dior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Bohan continued to design for Dior for another 29 years.\u00a0 The designer was known for his passion for detail and fit, and his skillful use of rich materials.\u00a0 Under his leadership, the House of Dior produced well-made clothes that maintained the sobriety desired by the Dior client, but with a dash of fresh trends to keep them current.\u00a0 Notices of his runway shows throughout the 1960s refer to him as “provacative” and “flirty”, but still sophisticated.<\/p>\n

\"Marc<\/a>
Marc Bohan for Dior, 1979<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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By the late 1980s, however, his work had grown conservative enough that Karl Lagerfeld described the House of Dior’s image as “a gray suit with lilies of the valley in the pocket”. (WWD, 1989: May 11: 2)\u00a0 Despite WWD’s raves about his spring 1988 collection (WWD, 1988, Jan 26: 1), Dior management unceremoniously replaced him with Gianfranco Ferre’ in 1989.<\/p>\n

\"Mark<\/a>
Mark Bohan for Dior,
Fall 1988<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Bohan’s work was beloved by several notable fashion icons.\u00a0 Princess Grace of Monaco, Betsy Bloomingdale, and Lynn Wyatt were some of his prominent clients.\u00a0 Jacqueline Kennedy had some of his designs adapted by her American designer, Oleg Cassini.<\/p>\n

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Several further resources:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.fashionencyclopedia.com\/Bo-Ch\/Bohan-Marc.html<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.catwalkyourself.com\/fashion-biographies\/marc-bohan\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Gianfranco Ferr\u00e9, Stylistic Director 1989 \u2013 1997<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Dior hired Gianfranco Ferre’ in 1989, the fashion world was taken aback that a prominent French couture house should choose a non-Frenchman for this prominent position.\u00a0 This move was also seen as a sign that Milan’s fashion houses had gained worldwide recognition.<\/p>\n

\"Ferre'<\/a>
Ferre’ for Dior, 1991<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Ferre’ originally trained as an architect, and began his design career by creating jewelry and accessories for Italian design houses.\u00a0 He opened his first design studio in 1974.\u00a0 He continued to design under his own name even after Bernard Arnault recruited him to Dior in 1989.<\/p>\n

Ferre’s work was known for crisp geometric cuts, clean shapes, elaborately constructed ballgowns, and sharply tailored suits.\u00a0 This detailing earned him the nickname “the architect of fashion”.<\/p>\n

\"17<\/a>
Ferre’ at Spring 1994 show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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His first few collections for Dior had trouble blending this hard-edged style with the softer romanticism Dior was known for, but Ferre’ developed the style, keeping his own line both more linear and more casual than his work for Dior.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ferre’ for Dior, 1996<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Like Dior, St. Laurent, and Bohan before him, Ferre’ had a devoted client base which included Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Sharon Stone, and Diana, Princess of Wales.<\/p>\n

Once the House of Dior moved on to John Galliano, Ferre’ was free to concentrate solely on his designs under his own name<\/a>.\u00a0 He died in 2007, shortly before showing his Spring 2007 menswear collection.<\/p>\n

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John Galliano, Creative Director 1997 \u2013 2011<\/strong><\/p>\n

Galliano established his own design house while still a student.\u00a0 His collections were known for their impeccable attention to detail and his playful reimagining of fashion’s history.\u00a0 In 1995, he was hired by Moet Henessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) director Bernard Arnault to revitalize the couture house of Givenchy, and then in 1996, Arnault appointed Galliano Creative Director at the House of Dior, surprising the fashion press and Galliano himself.<\/p>\n

\"galliano<\/a>
John Galliano at the end of Dior’s Fall\/Winter 2007-08 Haute Couture show<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Galliano tapped Dior’s own love for the Belle Epoch while deconstructing the elements and reconstructing them in elaborate and sometimes odd juxtapositions.\u00a0 Galliano recreated both himself and the couture brand for each show, referring to influences as diverse as the Spanish Toreador, Rag Balls of the 1930s, the Masai tribe, and Dior’s original new look.<\/p>\n

\"Galliano<\/a>
Galliano for Dior, Nicole Kidman at the 1997 Oscars<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Embracing the current of street fashion and the rise of the luxury accessory, Galliano developed the House of Dior into a 21st-century brand: romantic, exclusive, and chic, but still multi-referential.\u00a0 Some of his famous clients included Beatrice de Rothschild, Nicole Kidman, and Cate Blanchett.<\/p>\n

\"Galliano<\/a>
Galliano for Dior, 2001<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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In February of 2011, film of Galliano in Paris making anti-Semitic comments to pedestrians surfaced, inducing LVMH to fire Galliano (from both Dior and his own line) and the victims of his rant to sue him for public insult.\u00a0 He was convicted of these, paying the subsequent fines.\u00a0 Speculation in the fashion press remained that LVMH had allowed Galliano such leeway because his outrageous personality contributed to the cachet he brought the Dior brand. (WWD & NYT spring 2011)<\/p>\n

For more information:<\/p>\n

FITDB-Berg Fashion Library: Galliano<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Bill Gaytten, Artistic Director 2011 \u2013 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"dior-gaytten\"<\/a>
Bill Gaytten for Dior<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Galliano was disgraced, LVMH dismissed him from both his design enterprises: his directorships at Christian Dior and his own namesake, John Galliano.\u00a0 Bill Gaytten, a self-taught designer, had worked closely with Galliano since 1994, and was the obvious choice to replace him.<\/p>\n

Like Ferre’ before him, Gaytten had begun his training as an architect.\u00a0\u00a0 Fascinated with fashion, he taught himself draping and patternmaking.\u00a0 Through a friend at Central Saint Martin’s, he was introduced to John Galliano.<\/p>\n

Beginning in 1994 as a cutter with the company, he grew into a position in Galliano’s design studio, and was involved in both Givenchy and Galliano projects.\u00a0 When Galliano was tapped for Dior, Gaytten accompanied him.<\/p>\n

\"dior<\/a>
Bill Gaytton for Dior, Spring 2012<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Gaytten brought his own vision to the Dior line, one that he admitted was less romantic than Galliano’s, but perhaps more sleekly modern.\u00a0 (WWD, Sept 29 2011: 7)\u00a0 Reflecting his architectural background, his couture collection for Dior spring 2012 used sheer fabrics to show off\u00a0 detailed interior construction work, saying, “it’s such amazing work…No one sees it.\u00a0 We see it, but the clients should see it.”\u00a0 (WWD, Jan 24 2012: 2)<\/p>\n

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Despite critical acclaim, Gaytton was continuously “faced with the challenge of creating collections while largely being considered an interim designer…his often pretty clothes… lacked the excitement to propel the brand forward.” (WWD, Apr 10: 5).\u00a0 By the time Gaytton produced his last show, the news that LVMH had replaced him with Raf Simons had already been announced.<\/p>\n

For more details:<\/p>\n

FITDB-WWDpq<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

NY Magazine’s The Cut report<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Raf Simons, Artistic Director 2012 – 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps Bill Gaytton’s modernistic vision opened LVMH to a sleeker Dior, because their next choice for Artistic Director had distinguished himself as a minimalist designer from his first menswear collection in 1995.\u00a0 Raf Simons was hired away from Jil Sander, where he had worked since 2006, after the departure of the founding designer.<\/p>\n

\"Raf-Simons-Dior-and-I-vogue-6mar14-pr_b1\"<\/a>
Simons working at Dior, captured in the film “Dior and I”, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Simons, known for his surgically-minimalist menswear, exploration of proportions and volume, as well as his incisive tailoring, was an unusual choice for what is, arguably, the most romantic of the French couture houses.\u00a0\u00a0 Trained as an industrial designer, Simons represents the next wave of forward-thinking fashion designers working in Belgium, beginning with a street-inspired collection of menswear in 1995.<\/p>\n

\"simons<\/a>
Simons for Dior, Spring 2013<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Dior’s interest perhaps grew from Simons’ spring 2011 and 2012 collections for Jil Sander, which riffed off the grandeur of couture and the Victorian excesses of Worth and Winterhalter.\u00a0 Critically acclaimed, the 2012 collection “reimagined ideas from from the Fifties [sic]into hyperchic fashions for today”.\u00a0 (WWD, Dec 13 2011:2)<\/p>\n

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For more details, read up in WWD:<\/p>\n

FITDB-WWDpq<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Even more ironic than the second-largest French couture house hiring a Belgian-born designer known for his minimalism, is that just after I began this post, Simons announced that he would retire from Dior and refocus on his own signature lines<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Who will be next?<\/p>\n

The library has many resources that could help you find out more about these people and their work.\u00a0 Here are just a few:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/wwd.com\/fashion-news\/designer-luxury\/raf-simons-exit-dior-10267081\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.vogue.com\/13365275\/dior-finding-raf-simons-successor\/<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Official House of Dior has a more detailed history of the company<\/a> here:<\/p>\n

The library has files on Christian Dior , Marc Bohan (under House of Dior), Gianfranco Ferre’, and John Galliano scanned and available in FITDIL<\/a>.\u00a0 Browse under “FIT Library Designer Files”.<\/p>\n

Bibliographic articles:<\/p>\n

FITDB-Oxford Art Online: Dior<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

FITDB-Berg Fashion Library: Dior<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Selected Books<\/a> in our holdings (use “Dior” as a search term):<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Uss, “John Galliano,” 5th fl. Circulation Desk TT502.G23 2008<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charlotte Sinclair, “Vogue on Christian Dior,” 5th fl. Main Stacks TT505.D5 S56 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

Farid Chenoune, \u201cDior,\u201d 5th fl. Main Stacks TT505.D5 C54 2007<\/strong><\/p>\n

Caroline Bongrand, \u201cDior,\u201d 5th fl. Main Stacks TT505.D5 B65 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n

and many, many more!<\/p>\n

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<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to our new series about venerable design houses and the changes brought by new designers.\u00a0 This is the brainchild of the wonderful Shannen Lindsey, one of our students. The big couture houses, we hope, will survive profitably for far longer than the lifespan of their original designers.\u00a0 This series will take a look at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[167,147,36079,12249],"tags":[36202,36205,8709,14273,14258,36160,36157,14195,8434,14203,36156,14225,24848,36204,9887,36200,36203,36206],"class_list":["post-2425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-design","category-fashion","category-silk-road","category-textiles","tag-bernard-arnault","tag-bill-gaytton","tag-christian-dior","tag-clothing","tag-couture","tag-creativity","tag-design","tag-designers","tag-dresses","tag-dressmakers","tag-fashion","tag-fashion-history","tag-fashion-industry","tag-gianfranco-ferre","tag-history","tag-john-galliano","tag-marc-bohan","tag-raf-simons"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2hRtx-D7","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/271"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2425\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.fitnyc.edu\/volumesandissues\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}