The evolution of Christian Dior's revolutionary New Look

On February 12, 1947, Christian Dior presented his debut haute couture collection in Paris. Immediately dubbed as the "New Look," its most prominent features included rounded shoulders, a cinched waist, and a full, A-line skirt. With its clearly articulated feminine silhouette, the "Bar" suit (picture) was one of the most recognized ensembles of the late 40s and early 50s.

Dior's New Look became instantly popular among the couture clientele, and the middle class followed quickly. Women in Europe and the US would go to salons and ask seamstresses to emulate Dior's style for a fraction of the couture price. To stay ahead of the game, Dior would change his style every year: His Fall 1948 collection emphasized the neckline and played with embroideries.

After World War II, the New Look intended to revive the lavish fashions of the 19th century and the French Belle Époque. In 1949, Dior made his point clear with a fall collection inspired by the Roman mythology for which he embellished dresses with ombréed petals, sequins, rhinestones, and pearls. The "Junon" dress is still being copied by various dressmakers to this day.

At the beginning of the 50s, Dior's style went through some degree of transformation. Increasingly inspired by men's tuxedos and by his numerous trips to the United States, he conceived a more streamlined and modest silhouette for his Spring 1950 collection - although some styles still maintained the characteristic New Look volumes.

Newly found lightness and simplicity defined Dior's collections in 1951, even though nothing is ever really simple when it comes to haute couture. Dior might have replaced strict tailoring for fluid draping that year, but the neckline, for instance, would be constructed by an elaborate system of invisible wires to hold together its form

In contrast, Dior adopted a rather rigid style in 1952. The dresses had very sharp contours and grasped the body. The contradiction between the solid line and the romantic brocades, highlighted by the use of silver and gold threads, would create a literally breathtaking experience for the wearer as well as for the observer.

When Dior wasn’t working in his ateliers in Paris, he would come to his hometown of Granville, France, where he would dedicate his time to gardening. His enthusiasm for horticulture led to flower-inspired 1953 collections of mostly monochromatic looks with voluptuous dimensions that once again liberated the body.

"H is for horrid or heavenly," wrote one journalist about Dior's H-line silhouette, the controversial slim-fitting shape with a straight, narrow cut that falls to or just below the knee, which was introduced in his Spring 1954 collection. However, many wealthy American women came to Paris to buy Dior that year, so he balanced the act with glamorous dresses for debutantes and their mothers.

A shift in style was apparent at Dior in the mid-50s. The daily wear became almost minimalist, inspired by men's wardrobe again, and the evening wear was composed with ease. He replaced rigorous understructures with almost architectonic, hand-shaped constructions, but that didn't mean his creations lost anything of their opulence.

The change in Dior's work was, no doubt, caused by his new first assistant, the young Yves Saint Laurent, who was hired in 1955. Since then, Dior started to drift away from the New Look line. The cuts got boxier, ignoring the bust, waist, and the hips. As it is visible from this dress from 1956, nonetheless, the demand for the classic Dior pieces was still huge.

On March 4, 1957, Christian Dior became the first couturier to appear on the cover of "Time" magazine. In just 10 years, Dior grew into a leading fashion authority. After his sudden death the same year, Saint Laurent was named his successor, and despite his short stay, he injected the house with the young spirit, which allowed the brand a smooth transition to the Swinging Sixties.