(1905 – 1958) Christian Dior was one of the most influential designers of the 20th Century. From 1941 – 46, Dior worked at Lucien Lelong. While there he attracted the attention of textile maker Marcel Boussac, who became Dior’s financial backer.

In the spring of 1947, Dior showed his first major collection, the “Corolle” line, which came to be known as the “New Look”. The “New Look” was made up of long, full skirts and a nipped-in waist that called for the use of a corset. Dior continued to be a major force in the fashion world in the 1950s, with a new silhouette each season, including the Princess line of 1951, the “H” line of 1954, and the “A” and “Y” lines of 1955.

After Dior’s death in 1958, his assistant, Yves Saint Laurent, became the head designer at Dior. The head designers at Dior have been:

1947 –1958 – Christian Dior
1958 –1960 – Yves Saint Laurent
1960 –1989 – Marc Bohan
1989 –1996 – Gianfranco Ferre’
1996 – present – John Galliano.

The  New York, London and Boutique labels are  ready-to-wear labels. Until the early 1960s, these labels were designed in Paris, first by Christian Dior, and after his death, by Saint Laurent and Bohen. After about 1961, these lines were designed in New York and London by designers hired specifically to do just those lines.

Labels 2, 7, and 14 are Dior couture labels. Notice that they have the season and the year woven into the label, and that the label is stamped with an identification number.  However, note that some boutique labels are also stamped with a number, as this alone does not denote that a garment is couture.