Christian Dior: 10 Years to Build an Empire
1947-1957. In a mere ten years, at a time when France was painfully recovering from its wounds, Christian Dior revolutionized the world of fashion and built his empire. 60 years later, the House of Dior is still flourishing: a lesson in freedom and marketing...
Dior: God and Gold
Jean Cocteau got it right when he summed up the most famous couturier on the planet with the following play on words: “Dieu et Or”, or “God and Gold”. It was with hands of gold that this god recreated woman, daring to bring back glamour at a time of penury. In 1947, Dior, acknowledged genius, revolutionized the world of fashion, with a provocative and stunning collection marrying femininity with curves, breaking with all convention. Shouts of scandal were heard as everyone rushed to 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris. A “new look” was born along with a new frame of mind which has survived with the fashion house, despite the early demise of its founding creator.
Intuitive Marketing
At the time the notion of marketing was still conceptual, but Christian Dior instinctively understood how to manipulate the concept with brio and subtlety. Pragmatic and intuitive, the couturier quickly learned its principals: American women prefer three dresses to one very beautiful one; Ready-to-Wear collections were imperative; to create and maintain desire for the House of Dior, a new collection should come out every six months, and finally, the institution of licensing was the only way to get around the constraints of exports and custom controls. Unheard of!
In 1957, “called by God to dress the angels”, Dior left behind him an empire. Today, Dior is in 15 countries and employing 2000 people, proof that the superstitious and discrete anti-dandy knew how to think big, and since his death, this has not changed.
The House of Dior Today
With the latest news (that Kris van Assche will succeed Hedi Slimane as Artistic Director at Dior Homme), flourishing profits (+30% in 2006) and an indomitable spirit, LVMH continues to celebrate its success. With reason: despite the sudden and premature death of Christian Dior, his successors have always managed to incarnate his spirit, guaranteeing the continued success of the House. Without a mentor, Yves St. Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre and John Galliano have all known how to produce the same independent spirit whilst utilizing their own creative talents. In 2007, the label is as powerful as ever, proof that continual renewal is indeed possible.
EB
Janvier 2008
