Christian was born to Maurice and Madeleine Martin Dior in Granville, a seaside Normandy Village in France. Christian was the second born into his family with other siblings. He is often described as being artistic even in his youth. Christian's siblings are Raymond , Jacqueline, Bernard and Ginette.
At one point when he was young he sat up shop on the street and did sketches, he sold them for ten cents each. Christian opened an art gallery in 1928 with funds supplied by his father on the condition the Dior name not appear above the door. It only survived about 3 years and closed in 1931 when the family business failed, his older brother died and his mother died. In 1935, he landed a job illustrating the magazine “Figaro Illustre”.
Best known as the founder the world’s top fashion house, also called Christian Dior, which is now owned by Group Arnault. [1]
From 1937, Dior was employed by fashion designer Robert Piquet. Dior said that “Piquet taught me the virtues of simplicity through which true elegance must come”
Dior worked alongside Pierre Balmain at Piquet’s until he was called up for military service, serving until 1942. Dior then joined the fashion house of Lucien Lelong where he and again Pierre Balmain were primary designers. [2]
In December 1946, with backing of Marcel Boussac, Dior founded his fashion house. He was the a master at creating shapes and silhouettes using fabrics lined with percale, boning, bustier-style odices, wasp-waisted corsets and petticoats that flared dresses out. Harper’s Bazaar editor, Carmel Snow, coined the phrase, the “New Look” and it stuck. Dior himself said “I have designed flower women”.[3] [4][5]
Dior revolutionized women’s dress and established Paris as the centre of the fashion world after WWII. [6] [7]
Connections to Super Bowl halftime show performers: Christian is 31 degrees from Prince Nelson, 27 degrees from Dan Aykroyd, 26 degrees from Garth Brooks, 33 degrees from Chubby Checker, 31 degrees from Ella Fitzgerald, 27 degrees from Dusty Hill, 37 degrees from Whitney Houston, 23 degrees from Mick Jagger, 28 degrees from Paul McCartney, 29 degrees from Tom Petty, 27 degrees from Chris Stapleton and 29 degrees from Shania Twain on our single family tree. Login to see how you relate to 33 million family members.
D > Dior > Christian Ernest Dior
Categories: Grands couturiers | Designers | Notables
Monsieur Dior is notable, died 60 years ago, has no children or surviving siblings, so privacy is not really an issue. Thank you for considering it.