DIOR, CHRISTIAN

born Jan. 21, 1905, Granville, Fr. died Oct. 24, 1957, Montecatini, Italy French fashion designer whose creations dominated world fashion in the decade following World War II. Dior was born into a wealthy family and trained for the French diplomatic service, but in the midst of the financial crisis of the 1930s he went to work illustrating fashions for the weekly Figaro Illustr. In 1938 he became an assistant designer for the leading couturier of Paris, Robert Piguet, and four years later joined the house of designer Lucien Lelong (18891958). In 1947, backed by a French textile manufacturer, Marcel Boussac, he introduced his revolutionary New Look, spurring international controversy over the radically lowered hemline. The look featured small shoulders, a natural waistline, and a voluminous skirt, a drastic change from the World War II look of padded shoulders and short skirts. The overnight sensation of the New Look was followed by 10 years of outstanding success. In the 1950s the Sack Look, or H line, was the characteristic silhouette of his designs. Dior was instrumental in commercializing Parisian fashion on a worldwide basis and in reestablishing the traditional superiority of Parisian over American designers.