Information on Dior

Dior History & Timeline:

1905: January 21, Christian Dior is born
in Granville, Normandy, northern France.
The family produces fertilizers and is quite wealthy.

1906: the Dior family buys la Villa Les Rhumbs
an Anglo Norman property with a beautiful garden located
on a clifftop overlooking the North Sea.
Christian Dior grows up between the Villa and
an appartment in Paris.

1923: Christian Dior enters the well known french school Science Po
but the studies of politics do not passionate him.

1928: Christian Dior, 23 years old, opens a small art gallery in Paris.
The gallery is funded by his father and sells, among others,
paintings of Bérard, Braque, Dali, Laurencin, Léger, Picasso,
Tchelitchev, Utrillo, and Zadkine.
The gallery closes during the great depression in 1934.


1933: Robert Piguet opened a fashion house.
1938: Christian Dior gets his first job as a designer with Piguet.


1939: July 1, One of the very first Dior dresses ever produced
was worn at the Circus Ball reception from Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe)
by the legendary Brazilian beauty Aimée de Sa Sottomaior (later Aimée de Heeren).
The photos re-appeared in 2012 at the fashion museum of Rio de Janeiro
and thanks to Michelle Kauffmann Benarush they came to the eyes of VB.com.

1942: Dior joins the fashion house Lucien Lelong.


1946: Christian Dior SA or Dior is founded
by the French fashion designer Christian Dior.
and financed by Marcel Boussac, a french textile magnate.
The company starts in a private house on 30 Avenue Montaigne.

1947: February 12,
The fist collection, titled "a new look" by the fashion journalist Carmen Snow
from Harpers Bazar, is an imediate succes and goes down in fashion history.


1947: Launch of the fist perfume "Miss Dior"
named after Chrisitan Dior's sister Catherine Dior.
Miss Dior made the start of Parfums Christian Dior.
The Perfume division was a joint venture between the Dior Fashion house,
the cosmetic group Coty and Boussac.

1948: Christian Dior opens on 5th avenue in New York.


1949: Launch of Diorama, CD's second perfume line.
1950: Dior sells Licenses for the production of ties and accessories.

1951: September 3, Chrisitan Dior attends the legendary Beistigui Ball in Venice

1955: Opening of the large Christian Dior Boutique
on 30 avenue Montaigne (corner avenue Francois 1er)

1955: Yves Saint Laurent was introduced to Christian Dior at age 18
by Michel de Brunhoff, editor in chief of French Vogue.
He was hired on the spot.


1957: Christian Dior is on the cover of Time Magazine.
1957: October 3, Christian Dior dies in Montecatini, Italy after a heart attack.



1957: After Christian Dior's unexpected death,
YSL became head designer of Christian Dior at age 21 only.
His first spring 1958 collection made a sensation.


1960: Yves Saint Laurent leaves Dior to start his own fashion house.
He is replaced by Marc Bohan.


1960: Opening of the first Dior Store in Brussels.

1963: Launch of the perfume "Diorling".


1966: Launch of the perfume "Eau Sauvage".


1967: Opening of the "Baby Dior" line
1968: Christian Dior Perfumes are sold to the Champagne house Moët Hennessy.

1970: Launch of the mens collection "Christian Dior Monsieur".


1972: Launch of the perfume "Diorella".


1974: Opening of the Dior Store in Zuerich.


1978: The textile groupe Marcel Boussac files for bankruptcy.
The Willot brothers buy several actifs including Christian Dior SA.


1979: Lauch of the perfume "Diroessence" - ad realised by the illustrator Rene Gruau.


1980: Launch of the perfume "Jules".

1981: The Willot brothers file for bankruptcy.
Jean Pierre Willot goes to prison and his 3 brothers Brothers, Regis and Antoine
are sentenced to pay a penalty fee.

1981: Mai 11, Francois Mitterrand is elected president - changes in the french business world.


1984: Bernard Arnault and a group of investors
buy the assest of the Willot brothers.
Bernard Arnault becomes the owner of Dior at the age of 35.


1985: Bernard Arnaud becomes CEO (PDG) of Christian Dior
launch of the perfume "Poison".


1988: Christian Dior takes a 32% participation in the new LVMH group
via its subsidary Jacques Robert.


1989: Gianfranco Ferre becomes head stylist

1990: Dior participation in LVMH goes up to 46%.

1991: Christian Dior gets listed on the Paris stockmarket.


1991: November launch of the perfume "Dune" at the chateau Le Vaux Vicomte,
certainely the chiquest event the castle has seen since Louis XIV.
The guest list for the opening party
is made by Françoise Dumas and André Dunstetter.
Besides the Arnault family,
le Baron Guy et la Baronne Marie Helène de Rothschild,
the Dunstetter list includes Isabelle Adjani and many glamorous young people
like Maurice Dupre, Nika Salomon, Paul Albert Schlumberger
or the Princess Hermine de Clermont Tonerre.

1992: Patrick Lavoix becomes the artistic director of Christian Dior Monsieur.


1996: John Galliano becomes artistic director of Christian Dior Couture
(replacing Gianfranco Ferre).
Galliano's first credibility in Paris was made through
Sao Schlumberger, wife of the oil magnat Pierre Schlumberger and
the cities most important individual Haute Cuture client of her time.
The connection with Sao gave Galliano
the fame to be hired by Givenchy in July 1995
from where he moved on to Dior.


1999: Launch of the perfume "J'adore".

1999: Launch of a Jewellery division created by Victoire de Castellane.



2001: Opening of the Dior Jewellery store on place Vendome.
launch of the perfume "higher"


2002: Launch of the perfume "Addict"


2002: October 2, Opening of the Dior Store in Florence.

2003: Opening of the Tokyo store in the Omotesando district.

2004: Opening of a 2nd Tokyo store in the Ginza district.

2005: Celebration of Mr Christian Dior's 100 birthday
launch of the perfumes "Miss Dior Cherie" and "Dior Homme".


2007: Kris Van Assche becomes the new artisitc director for Dior Men.


2009: June - release of the short film "Lady Noire"
promoting Dior handbags in a Hitchcock style.
Film with Marion Cotillard by Olivier Dahan
made in the Hotel de Crillon and the Eiffel Tower.

2011: March 1, Dior fires head designer John Galliano
after making antis semitic remarks that covers international news headlines.
The fall winter fashion show is presented without Galliano.
Bill Gaytten becomes interim head designer.


2012: April 11, Raf Simons from Belgium becomes the new artistic director of Dior.


2012: May 3, Launch of the promotional film "Secret Garden" made in Versailles.

Origin of Dior Name & Logos & Internet Domains:

The Dior Logo was designed by xxx in 19xx.
The Dior logo representing the CD symbol was designed in 1946
by Chrisitan Dior in person.