Dior

History

Christian Dior launched his maison in 1946 and presented the New Look in February 1947 - cinched waists and full skirts that reframed post-war womenswear.

Successive creative directors - Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and Jonathan Anderson - each rebalanced couture, ready-to-wear, and commercial leather goods.

Today Dior sits at the strategic heart of LVMH alongside Louis Vuitton, with significant investment in flagship retail and high jewellery.

Craftsmanship

• Couture is produced at the rue de Marignan and avenue Montaigne ateliers in Paris, with embroidery from partners such as Lesage and Vermont.
• Leather goods are made in dedicated Italian and French ateliers, with the Lady Dior cannage quilting and topstitching done by hand on the flagship pieces.
• High Jewellery, under Victoire de Castellane until recently, operates from Place Vendôme with bespoke commissions.

House Signatures

• Cannage quilting, CD hardware charms, Bar Jacket silhouette, Oblique monogram, Toile de Jouy prints.
• Lily-of-the-valley as Christian Dior's personal lucky motif, retained throughout the house's iconography.
• Couture-driven storytelling - runway scenography and atelier films - that anchors the brand at the cultural level.

Ownership

• Christian Dior Couture is owned by LVMH, which is itself controlled by Christian Dior SE - the Arnault family holding through which Bernard Arnault organises his group.
• Christian Dior Parfums sits within LVMH's Perfumes & Cosmetics division and is managed separately from the couture house.

Cultural Impact

• The 1947 New Look is widely regarded as the post-war reset point for fashion silhouette and atelier-led couture culture.
• Princess Diana's adoption of the Lady Dior in 1995 created one of the most influential celebrity-bag pairings of the late twentieth century.

Collectibility

• Galliano-era couture and Saddle bags from early 2000s are increasingly collected in vintage circles.
• Lady Dior special editions - particularly the Dior Lady Art artist series - carry strong secondary-market interest.
• Couture pieces with documented runway provenance occupy the top tier of Dior's collectible market.

Buying Notes

• Buy current-season leather goods through boutiques or dior.com to guarantee authenticity and access to brand repair services.
• For Galliano-era vintage, work with specialists; condition of leather, hardware plating, and stitching defines value.
• Couture and high jewellery require boutique relationships and lead times measured in months for commissions.

Iconic Products