Christian Dior was born on the 21st of January 1902 in the seaside town of Granville, France. Throughout his short lifetime, he became one of the most influential figures of his generation. 

He was the second of five children of Alexandre Louis Maurice Dior, a successful fertiliser manufacturer. Having been born into the bourgeoisie, his parents wanted him to become a diplomat. However, Dior always had an aptitude for artistic ventures and initially expressed interest in architecture. Eventually, he gave in to pressure from his parents and went on to study at the École des Sciences Politiques (School of Political Sciences) in Paris. Not wanting to stop his artistic ventures, he continued designing women’s fashion and eventually started working for well-known designer Robert Piguet. 

When World War II began, Dior signed up and served in the south of France. When France surrendered to Germany in 1942, couturier Lucien Lelong hired him. Lelong’s fashion house would design and dress for Nazis and French collaborator women. Interestingly, during this time, Dior’s younger sister, Catherine, worked for the French resistance; she was captured and released in 1945. 

After the war, in 1946, Dior founded his own fashion house under his name, financially supported by textile mogul Marcel Boussac. Thus, the Maison Christian Dior was born. Dior’s first collection, “Corolle”, French for the petals of a flower, was a success and made him an international sensation. His style exaggerated the female figure, consisting of features such as full skirts, nipped-in waists and soft shoulders; it was light and elegant and considered by many at the time to be the epitome of femininity. 

Dior’s revolutionary designs did not escape criticism. He received backlash for his excessive use of fabric when rations, including fabric rations, characterised the war. Furthermore, critics suggested that he was bringing back luxury fashion shortly after the war had finished. Many predicted that the populous was not ready for this rebirth to happen so soon. It turned out that the exact opposite happened; people were sick of the melancholic mood leftover from the war, so women were fervent supporters of Dior’s opulent fashion. His designs became so popular that none of his collections in the following ten years failed. His name had become synonymous with French haute couture. 

Dior’s designs were worn by many celebrities, including Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardener, Grace Kelly and Princess Margaret. 

In 1957, Dior died from a heart attack whilst on holiday in Italy. There are many theories as to why he had a heart attack, but none have been proved. After his death, Yves Saint Laurent took over his role as head designer. Currently, the head designer of women’s fashion for Dior is Maria Grazia Chiuri, and the head designer of men’s fashion is Kim Jones. Recently they premiered their Resort 2022 collection at a show held in an ancient stadium in Athens. 

Christian Dior revolutionised haute couture after the war, and his legacy continues through the success of Dior today.