Christian Dior
Christian Dior (1905 – 1957) founded his company in 1946 opening a boutique at 30 Avenue Montaigne. He launched his first perfume and in 1948 and he opened a boutique in New York at 730 5th Avenue. At the end of the 1940s, Dior's clothing was reported to make up 75% of Paris’s fashion exports. Dior moved from fashion and perfume to lipstick which was launched in 1953. Then in 1955 Yves Saint Laurent was hired by Christian to be his Assistant. Two years later Saint Laurent became the Artistic Director after the sudden death of Dior from a heart attack. Dior went on operating. In 1972 Dior launched its first wristwatch and continued to do so. The watchmaking workshop is situated in La Chaux-de-Fonds where each piece is painstakingly crafted in gold, steel, and sometimes ceramic. Setters set with diamonds or colored gemstones with movements by Zenith. In 1998 Dior Joaillerie (Jewelry) was launched by Victoire de Castellane. Dior had often created costume jewelry to wear with their clothing to fashion shows however this was the first time they began in fine jewelry.
