DIOR JEWELLERY

DIOR JEWELLERY 

christian Dior was the most influential designer of the 1950s, storming the fashion world with his  look

 From 1947 he accessorized his clothes with opulent jewelry, such as flower  trembles, 

asymmetrical crystal necklaces and animal pins, especially commissioned for each collection.

Christian Dior was born in Normandy, France, in 1905. He got his break in the fashion world when he sold sketches to Parisian couture houses, eventually earning an apprenticeship with Robert Piguet in 1938. 

DIOR JEWELLERY 

After serving as an officer in World War II for a year, Dior found a position with couturier Lucien Lelong in 1941. It was a challenging and educational environment for Dior: Lelong was attempting to revitalize Paris's couture industry by dressing the wives of Nazi officers and F rench collaborators.

In 1946, a friend from Normandy gave Dior the opportunity to revive a struggling clothing company owned by textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac, the "King of Cotton." Boussac was impressed by

Dior's idea for a curvaceous new look with full, billowing skirts and agreed to fund his new couture house. The first Christian Dior couture show was held in February 1947, and the company was flooded with orders from the world's most beautiful women, including Rita Hayworth and Margot Fonteyn.

DIOR JEWELLERY 

"Your dresses have such a new look," Carmel Snow, editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar, told Dior on seeing the new "Carollc" line's silhouette. But the New Look attracted both approval and disdain: a bewildered Coco Chanel wondered how women could function in "that thing," which flew in the face of her own practical style ethos.

I lowever, post-war women, desperate to bring some glamor back into their lives, flocked to buy New Look pieces with their hourglass silhouettes. The opulent, curvaceous shapes w ere accessorized with crystal jewelry designed for the first Dior collection by the French manufacturer, Maison Gripoix, or w ith strings of faux pearls, creating a glamorous and feminine finish.

This "flow er women" look, as Dior described it, fulfilled a political agenda, too: women were expected to return to the home as wives and mothers, leaving the factory and field jobs to demobbed soldiers. The New Look reinforced that traditional feminine role.

 

MITCHELL MAER

DIOR JEWELLERY 

A  merican Mitchell Maer moved to London in the 1930s and began designing jewelry for Dior's seasonal collections, under license, in 1952. Maer used designers in Paris and produced the pieces in London, marking them "Christian Dior by Mitchell Maer". This arrangement lasted for four years, until Maer went bankrupt.

Maer's work was original and distinctive, utilizing

Dior designed pieces of jewelry as an integral part of his collections, using them to enhance his couture. Initially, he created jewelry for individual clients, such as Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis, or for specific outfits. From 1948 onward, designs were made as part of each collection. Jewelry pieces were soon being produced under license for Dior and sold in exclusive stores, a practice which the 1 louse of Dior continued after the designer's death.

Dior was insistent that the quality of the costume jewelry designed for the House of Dior reflected the standard of the couture. Only the most talented designers and reputable companies were used, including Henry Schreiner and Kramer in the United States; Mitchell Maer in England; Henkel & Grosse in Germany from 1955 onward; and in France Josctte Gripoix and Robert Goossens, who also worked for Chanel.

DIOR JEWELLERY 

Dior's jewelry took its inspiration from historical styles, but the designs were giv en a modern flavor through the use of unusual pastes and stones, deliberately selected for their artificial colors and forms, which made the pieces visually challenging and stunning. In this vein, Dior developed the multi-colored "aurora borealis" line of Rhinestones with Swarovski in 1955, which were used widely in his designs. Floral forms were another signature element in his work, reflecting his love of gardens and the countryside. Lily of the valley was a particular motif of Dior's and at least one model in every show

luxurious- looking rhinestones and faux pearls to underpin the classic- opulence of Dior's designs. The most popular of his designs echoed Victorian and Georgian styles, and his "Byzantine" collection was also a huge success. He is known for his use of floral motifs and for his unicorn pins, which are avidly sought by collectors today.

6. A pair of 1950s earrings, in silver-tone metal, with black and clear rhinestones and faux baroque pearl drops, signed "Christian Dior by Mitchell Maer". 2in (5cm) long D

DIOR JEWELLERY 

would wear a corsage of his favorite flower. Other jewelry forms, including circus animals, unicorns, and fish were made and arc highly collectable today. Picces are always signed and dated.

Dior dominated the fashion world of the 1950s, attracting the elite of Europe and North America, designing outfits and jewelry for the Duchess of Windsor and I lollywood goddesses, and employing the most talented designers, including I'ierre Cardin. In 1957, Dior died of a heart attack and his financial backer, Marcel Boussac, promoted a talented 21-year-old apprentice, Yves Saint Laurent, to designer in chief. In 1960, Mark Bohan replaced Saint Laurent in the role, followed by Gianfranco Ferre in 1989 and John Galliano in 1996. The House of Dior remains a global brand today.

 

AN EYE FOR FASHION



whether it war inspiring the world with the 1947 new

DIOR JEWELLERY 

Look," or employing cutting-edge designers such as John Galliano to continue to push the brand forwards. Christian Dior has always been at the forefront of fashion design. 





The pendant necklace  from the company's 1950 collection was designed to set off the strapless evening gowns that were fashionable at the time. More recently Galliano has been inspired by the label's past to create couture gowns and jewelry which recall its 1950s masterpieces . For example, the flower earrings shown above, which date from c2005, feature faux tortoiseshell petals, citrine bead drops, and clear rhinestone highlights.($ 120-180/S80-120)