French designer Christian Dior, in collaboration with industrialist Marcel Boussac formed this iconic fashion house in late 1946. Success was quick for the talented 41 year old fashion designer. From designing for leading Hollywood stars, to his cover of 1957’s Time Magazine, Dior changed the face of fashion as we know it. The Dior group is now an international powerhouse, manufacturing fashion for men and women, acessories, fragrances, beauty products and fine jewelry. Along with other fashion-forward fine jewelry, the House of Dior produces a stunning collection of fine timepieces manufactured from technologically innovative materials.
These Dior Watches are true masterpieces. Along with all the other things made by the house of Dior In 1980, Dior releases the men’s fragrance “Jules”. After the Willot Group plummeted into bankruptcy in 1981, Bernard Arnault and his investment group stepped up and purchased it for “one symbolic franc” in December 1984. The Dior perfume “Poison” is launched in 1985. Arnault became Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Managing Director in 1985 as well. Upon leadership, Arnault did away with the mediocre textile operations of the company to focus only on the Bon Marché department store and Christian Dior Couture. Operations for Christian Dior drastically changed for the betterment of the company under Arnault. He repositioned the company as the holding company Christian Dior S.A. for the Dior Couture fashion business. On the fortieth anniversary of Christian Dior’s first collection, the Paris Fashion Museum dedicates an exhibition to him. In 1988, Arnault’s Christian Dior S.A.’s takes a 32% equity stake into the share capital of Moët-Hennessy • Louis Vuitton through its subsidiary Jacques Rober to create one of the most powerful leading luxury goods companies in the world. Under this milestone merger, the operations of Christian Dior Couture and Christian Dior Parfums were once again united. The Dior corporation states that the “share capital of Christian Dior is offered to French and foreign institutional investors who subscribe to a capital increase of . billion francs in a private placement.” Italian-born Gianfranco Ferré replaced Marc Bohan as head designer in 1989. The first non-Frenchman, Ferré left behind the traditions of flirtation and romance of Christian and Marc and introduced concepts that Kevin Almond for Contemporary Fashion calls “refined, sober and strict.” Ferré leads in the design of Haute Couture, Haute Fourrure, Women’s Ready-to-Wear, Ready-to-Wear Furs and Women’s Accessories collections. His first collection is awarded the Dé d’Or in 1989. Also, a boutique is opened in Hawaii and the LVMH stake by Jacques Rober rises to 44%. Further more Dior boutiques were opened in 1990 in upscale New York City, Los Angeles, and Tokyo shopping districts. The stake in LVMH rises again to 46%. Another collection of watches named “Bagheera” — which were inspired by the round design of the “Black Moon” watches — is released in 1990, too. When Arnault fired managing director Beatrice Bongbault in December 1990, he took up the position until September 1991 when he placed former Bon Marché president Phillipe Vindry in the post. In 1991, Christian Dior is listed on the spot market and then on the Paris Stock Exchange’s monthly settlement market. The perfume “Dune” is launched in 1991, too. Vindry dropped ready-to-wear priced down 10%. Still, a wool suit from Dior came labeled with the price of $ ,500 USD. Sales nevertheless were raised to a great 50% at the headquarters store from 1990 to 1991. Revenue for Dior was $129. million USD in 1990 with a net income of $22 million. He also reorganized Dior into three categories: ) Women’s ready-to-wear, lingerie and children’s wear ) accessories and jewelry ) menswear. Licensees and franchised boutiques were starting to be reduced so that the Dior company could solely control these aspects. Licensing was nearly reduced by half because Arnault and Vindry opted “for quality and exclusivity over quantity and accessibility.” Wholly company-owned boutiques were opened in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Cannes, and Waikiki “to its core stores located in New York City, Hawaii, Paris, and Geneva. This held out the potential to increase direct sales and profit margins while maintaining high-profile locations.” Dior Homme is placed under the Artistic direction of Patrick Lavoix in 1992 and the “Miss Dior” perfume is relaunched. Francois Baufume succeeded Vindry in 1993 and continued to reduce licenses to the Dior name. The Christian Dior consolidated stake in LVMH increases from 24. % to 41. % after a revised agreement with Guinness.
The production of Dior Haute Couture is spun-off into a subsidiary named Christian Dior Couture in 1995. Also, the “La Parisienne” watch model is released — embodied in the watch, “Parisian Chic”. By that year, revenue for the label increased to $177 million USD with a net income of $26. million USD. CEO Arnault appointed British designer John Galliano to replace Glanfranco Ferré in 1997. Arnault was said to have had “ruffed some French feathers” for the choice of a British designer instead of a French one. The Dior CEO stated that he “would have preferred a Frenchman,” but “talent has no nationality.” He even compared Galliano to Christian Dior by noting that “Galliano has a creative talent very close to that of Christian Dior. He has the same extraordinary mixture of romanticism, feminism, and modernity that symbolizes Mr. Dior. In all of his creations–his suits, his dresses–one finds similarities to the Dior style.” Galliano sparked further interest in Dior with his rather controversial fashion shows: “Homeless Show” (models dressed in newspapers and paper bags) and “S&M Show”. Licenses were further diminished by president and CEO Sidney Toledano. On October 15, 1997, the Dior locaiton on Avenue Montaigne is reopened — it had been closed and remodeled by Peter Marino — in an event celebrity-studded event including Nicole Kidman, Demi Moore, and Jacques Chirac. Christian Dior Couture took up all 13 boutique franchises from Japan’s Kanebo in 1997. The Dior Spanish distributor is acquired in 1998 in an effort to enforce its new policy of strict Dior “franchise and licensed retail network.” Next, Christian Dior Couture takes over the direct marketing of ready-to-wear and women’s accessories in Japan after terminating its licensing agreement with Kanebo.”
In May 1998, another Dior boutique is opened in Paris. This time, the location opened doors on the Rive Gauche in the Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Also in this year, Victoire de Castellane becomes the Designer of Dior Fine Jewelry and the first Dior Fine Jewelry boutique is opened in New York City. Paris witnesses the opening of the first Parisian Dior Fine Jewelry boutique in 1999 on 28 Avenue Montaigne. The perfume “J’adore” is released in 1999. On October , 1999, Galliano releases the Dior Spring-Summer 2000 ready-to-wear fashion show debuting the new Saddle bag. In the year as well, Dior’s long watch partner Bemedom joins the LVMH group.
On July 17, 2000, Dior Homme designer Patrick Lavoix is replaced with Mr. Hedi Silmane. The unique “Malice” watch, which features bracelets made of “CD” links is released in 2000 and becomes a best selling accessory. The very fashionable “Riva” watch is also released.
[edit] Onward into a new century
The Dior flagship boutique in the upscale Ginza shopping district of Tokyo. First opened in 2004.
In 2001, the Dior Homme boutique on 30 Avenue Montaigne reopened with a new “contemporary masculine concept” instilled by its designer Mr. Hedi Silmane. Silmane used this concept in the creation of his first Dior Homme collection. Soon, Dior Homme gained prominent male clientele including Brad Pitt and Mick Jagger. On June , 2002, Dior Homme designer Hedi Silmane was presented with the “International Designer of the Year” award by the CFDA.
Dior opened the first Dior Homme boutique in Milan on February 20, 2002. By 2002, 130 locations were in full operation. A second flagship boutique from Christian Dior was opened in the upscale Ginza shopping district of Tokyo in 2004. An exclusive Dior Homme boutique was opened in 2004 in Paris on Rue Royal, presenting the entire Dior Homme collection. A second Dior Fine Jewelry boutique in Paris was opened at Place Vendôme. Bernard Arnault, his wife, Chloé Sivigny, and Sidney Toledano witnessed the opening of the Dior flagship boutique in the Omotesando district of Tokyo on December , 2003. A Christian Dior boutique was opened in Moscow after the company took control of licensed operations of its Moscow agent.
The men’s fragrance “Higher” was released in 2001, followed by the perfume “Addict” in 2002. The “Miss Dior Chérie” perfume and the “Dior Homme” fragrance were released in 2005.
Galliano began to release his own Dior watches in 2001, beginning with the “Chris 47 Aluminum” line, marking a new era in Dior watch design. Next, the “Malice” and “Riva” watches were redesigned with precious stones to create the “Malice Sparkling” and “Riva Sparkling” spin-off collections. Inspired by the Spring-Summer 2002 Ready-to-Wear collection, Dior released the “Dior 66″ watch, breaking many feminine traditional expectations in design. The “Chris 47 Steel” watch was released in 2003 as a cousin of the original “Chris 47 Aluminum”. The designer of Dior Fine Jewelry Victoire de Castellane launched her own watch named “Le D de Dior” (French: “The D of Dior”). signifying the entrance of Dior watches into its collection of fine Jewelry. This watch was designed for women but made use of many design features which are typically thought of as masculine. Silmane next released a watch for the Dior Homme collection called “Chiffre Rouge.” This special watch included the signature look of Dior Homme: “Watch design and technology match each other inseparably, to create the perfect expression of Dior Homme’s artistic excellence and to increase the watchmaking legitimacy of Dior timepieces.” Fine Jewelry designer de Castellane launched her second line of watches called “La Baby de Dior”. The design for this line was meant to be more feminine with more of a “jewelry look.” Christian Dior S.A. celebrated the 13th anniversary of Dior Watches in 2005, and, in April of that year, its “Chiffre Rouge” collection was recognized by the World Watches and Jewelry Show in Basel, Switzerland. In 2005 the fashion house also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birthday of designer Christian Dior. An exhibition, “Christian Dior: Man of the Century,” was held in the Dior Museum in Granville, Normandy. Also in 2005, Galliano released his “Dior Christal” watches in which he combined steel and blue sapphires to create a “creative and innovative collection.”
In 2006, the Dior watch booth was dedicated to the Dior Canework. This pattern was made by designer Christian Dior and based on the Napoleon III chairs used in his fashion shows. Dior Homme received a new Artistic Director in 2007, Kris Van Assche, who presented its first collection later that year. The 60th Anniversary of the founding of the Maison Dior was officially celebrated in 2007 as well. Currently, Dior is featured in countless high-fashion magazines, more prominently Vogue, and advertises its popular Christian Dior Cosmetics and Parfums via prominent fashionistas and models.
