Christian Dior was a popular French fashion designer who remains one of the top names in fashion. He was born on January 21, 1905 in Granville, a small town on the coast of France. He came from a wealth family who had made their fortune in fertilizer and his parents wanted young Christian to become a man of influence, possibly a diplomat. They sent him to the prestigious Ecole des Scinces Politiques school where Christian was an average student. One reason he did not excel in his studies was because he spent all of his free time sketching, mostly fashion designs. He even sold fashion sketches on the street to make extra money.

After he graduated his father reluctantly gave him enough money to start a small art gallery. But when the family suffered financial disaster and his father lost his business, Dior had to close his gallery. After a brief stint in the army, Dior was hired by the fashion house of Lucien Lelong where he quickly became one of their top designers.

With a growing reputation for original designs, Dior received backing from a wealthy admirer to open his own fashion house in 1946. His first collection was a smashing success and the editor of Harper’s Bazzaar called it “New Look,” a label that would be associated with Christian Dior all his days. 

Designs

The most obvious thing that set Dior’s designs apart from other designers was his use of fabric. After World War II the fashion community was forced to conserve and use less fabric in their designs due to rations on fabric. Paris was still picking up the pieces and returning to life after the Nazi occupation and nearly everything was rationed. Fashion designers were especially hard hit and they had to rethink their entire approach to making dresses with less fabric. But Dior was a true maverick and he refused to compromise. He did not use less fabric in his dresses, but rather decided to simply make fewer dresses. This allowed the Dior line to stand out and to catch the eye of fashion reporters all over the world. They described the look as voluptuous and one that created new shapes and silhouettes.

To achieve this “New Look” Dior used fabrics lined with percale, hip padding and petticoats that made the dresses larger in the waist and bust area, which gave his models a curvier form. And because he used more fabric in his dresses he was able to make them full length and cover up the legs. Before then designers had been making shorter dresses due to the fabric shortage, so Dior’s dresses were something new. Dior and his “New Look” would go on to revolutionize fashion and to return Paris to its rightful place at the top of the fashion world.

Men’s Fashion

Christian Dior is also known as one of the top names in men’s fashion. He designed stylish, edgy lines of men’s suits and accessories. He is especially well-known for his silk neckties, which are said to be bold and expressive. They are also known for being expensive. A typical silk necktie from Dior sells for around a hundred and fifty dollars.

Pierre Cardin has been one of the most recognizable names in the world of fashion for over half a century. Though he made his name in France, the designer was born in a small town in Italy in 1922.

After World War II, Cardin moved to newly liberated Paris to study architecture and design. In time, however, Cardin turned his attention to fashion and found himself obsessed with the idea of becoming a top designer. After only a few years in the industry, Cardin secured a job at the head of one of Christian Dior’s ateliers. This was a tremendous accomplishment for the budding designer who was only twenty-five at the time. Christian Dior was one of the most celebrated young designers in the world and he had chosen Cardin to run one of his studios.

Then at the ripe old age of twenty-eight, Cardin founded a fashion house of his own in 1950. A year latter the young designer became a fashion superstar when he designed elaborate costumes for “the party of the century” masquerade ball in Venice. All of the top fashion writers and designers were there and they were blown away by the original, experimental style of the young designer.

After that Cardin was seen as something of a fashion wunderkind. He was a young designer who liked to push the boundaries of what the fashion community deemed acceptable. He was one of the first European designers to be influenced by Japanese fashion and to incorporate it in his designs.

In fact, he rebuffed the mainstream fashion community several times during his storied career. For instance, he resigned from the Chambre Syndicale (a forum for designers to show their work) in 1966, and from then on would only show his collections at his own venues. In 1971 he opened his first venue, the Espace Cardin in Paris, which he uses to promote new designers, musicians and artists.

During this time Cardin gained fame for his avant-garde style and the innovative shapes and designs that paid little mind to the models who were wearing them. Later he even experimented with unisex fashions, which were not particularly popular. But setbacks never dissuaded Cardin from experimenting and trying out new looks and styles.

Men’s Fashion

Though his impact on women’s fashion is undeniable, Pierre Cardin had even more impact on men’s fashion. In fact, he was one of the first popular designers to turn his attention the men’s couture. He was particularly creative in his approach to men’s neckties. Cardin believed that ties should be bold and colorful and that they should allow a man to express his personality. He is often cited as the inventor of the flowered tie, which was a far more intricate and involved design than men’s fashion had ever seen. Today the Cardin line sells hundreds of neckties from vintage to modern. They offer a large selection of floral silk ties that will last for many years if properly maintained. Most Pierre Cardin ties are also reasonably priced and can be purchased for little more than an average, nondescript necktie.