Dior by John Galliano Spring 2003 Punk Swarovski Sunglasses in Clear
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Prague, CZ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2389214426872
John Galliano for Christian Dior
Known for introducing rich theatricality and memorable fashion spectacles to the runway, John Galliano has enjoyed a singular career. The audacious British designer has garnered universal acclaim for genre-breaking collections not only at his eponymous label but also for Christian Dior.
From his embroidered absinthe-green Oscars gown for actress Nicole Kidman to the iconic sleeveless newspaper-print dress that Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw made famous, Galliano’s intricate and multifaceted work is reliably collectible and newsworthy, drawing on history as often as it embodies a fresh and forward-looking sensibility, and over the years the designer has helped shape an ever-broadening new legion of enthusiasts for Parisian couture.
Born in Gibraltar but raised in South London by strict Roman Catholic working-class parents, Galliano attended the all-boys Church of England grammar school, where his flamboyance and interest in art attracted the attention of bullies. Eventually, Galliano ended up at the prestigious design and art school Central Saint Martins College (then called Saint Martin’s School of Art), where fellow British designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen also trained.
Galliano flourished at Central Saint Martins. While a student, he worked in the costume department at the National Theatre in London. His graduate collection in 1984, dubbed “Les Incroyables” and named for post–French Revolution fashion lovers, was modeled by close friends of his and earned a standing ovation. The line ended up in the storefront windows of London luxury boutique Brown’s on South Molton Street, and Galliano’s first official collection — after he graduated — debuted at Paris Fashion Week in 1989.
In the early 1990s, Galliano’s relationship with his financial backer, Plein Sud’s Faycal Amor, ended, and by 1994, he was broke and sleeping on the floor of a friend’s apartment. Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and then-Vanity Fair editor André Leon Talley stepped in and introduced the budding designer to Portuguese socialite and fashion patron São Schlumberger and others.
At Schlumberger’s Hôtel Particulier, Galliano’s shows became the stuff of fashion legend. His collection, a blend of Japanese modernist style as well as nostalgia for Art Deco and 1940s’ tailoring, earned raves in glossy magazines and garnered the attention of Princess Diana, Madonna and other fashion luminaries.
Once the Galliano name was well known among the world’s most stylish set, the chairperson of LVMH, Bernard Arnault, appointed Galliano head designer of French fashion house Givenchy. One year later, in 1996, LVMH moved him to the design team at Dior. In just eight weeks, Galliano produced 50 looks for Dior Haute Couture’s brilliant Spring/Summer 1997 Maasai collection and would ultimately design a mind-boggling eight collections a year for the storied French fashion house until 2011. Today, Galliano is the creative director of Maison Margiela.
Shop vintage and contemporary John Galliano for Christian Dior evening dresses and gowns, shoes, handbags and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
Christian Dior
When Christian Dior launched his couture house, in 1946, he wanted nothing less than to make “an elegant woman more beautiful and a beautiful woman more elegant.” He succeeded, and in doing so the visionary designer altered the landscape of 20th century fashion. Vintage Dior bags, shoes, evening dresses, shirts and other garments and accessories are known today for their feminine and sophisticated sensibility.
Dior was born in Granville, on the Normandy coast, in 1905. His prosperous haute bourgeois parents wanted him to become a diplomat despite his interest in art and architecture. However, they agreed to bankroll an art gallery, which Dior opened in 1928 in Paris with a friend.
This was the start of Dior’s rise in the city’s creative milieu, where he befriended Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. After seven years as an art dealer, Dior retrained as a fashion illustrator, eventually landing a job as a fashion designer for Robert Piguet, and in 1941, following a year of military service, he joined the house of Lucien Lelong. Just five years later, with the backing of industrialist Marcel Boussac, the ascendant Dior established his own fashion house, at 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Just two years after the end of World War II, the fashion crowd and the moribund haute couture industry were yearning, comme tout Paris, for security and prosperity, desperate to discard the drab, sexless, utilitarian garb imposed by wartime deprivation. They needed to dream anew.
And Dior delivered: He designed a collection for a bright, optimistic future. “It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian!” exclaimed Carmel Snow, the prescient American editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, famously proclaiming, “Your dresses have such a new look.” The press ran with the description, christening Dior’s debut Spring/Summer haute couture collection the New Look. “God help those who bought before they saw Dior,” said Snow. “This changes everything.”
Dior’s collection definitively declared that opulence, luxury and femininity were in. His skirts could have 40-meter-circumference hems, and outfits could weigh up to 60 pounds. They were cut and shaped like architecture, on strong foundations that molded women and “freed them from nature,” Dior said. Rather than rationing, his ladies wanted reams of fabric and 19-inch waists enforced by wire corsets, and the fashion world concurred. The debut got a standing ovation.
In the subsequent decade, Paris ruled as the undisputed fashion capital of the world, and Christian Dior reigned as its king. With the luxuriously full skirts of his New Look, suits and his drop-dead gorgeous couture dresses and ball gowns worthy of any princess, Dior gave women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of war.
On 1stDibs, find an exquisite range of vintage Christian Dior clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Prague, Czech Republic
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Dior Spring 2003 Punk Swarovski Sunglasses in RedBy John Galliano for Christian Dior, Christian DiorLocated in Prague, CZOne of the rarest, limited edition Dior sunglasses by John Galliano, Dior Punk Swarovski sunglasses embellished with a few hundreds of red Swarovski crystals...Category
Early 2000s Sunglasses
- Alain Mikli 1981 Bedazzled “WINGS” SunglassesBy Alain MikliLocated in Prague, CZExtremely rare sunglasses from the most prominent sunglasses designer - Alain Mikli, WINGS in even more rare version with crystals in a sophisticated wine red color from 1981. Handm...Category
1980s Sunglasses
- SS 2004 Jean-Paul Gaultier Silk BomberBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Prague, CZAs seen on the runway, this stunning silk-cotton blend Bomber is in size FR 36, US 6. Measurements (flat, on one side): - Shoulder to shoulder - 50 cm (19,5 in) - Pit to pit - 61 ...Category
Early 2000s Bomber Jackets
- NWT SS 2017 Versace by Donatella Versace Embelisshed Mini DressBy Donatella Versace for Gianni Versace, Gianni VersaceLocated in Prague, CZAn absolutely incredible, future vintage deadstock Versace Spring 2017 dress, fully embellished with Swarovski crystals and elements, a truly demi-co...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Dresses
- Dolce & Gabbana Fall 1999 Zebra Print Fur Jacket with Mink CollarBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Prague, CZFabulous Rabbit fur jacket with a mink collar. Size M, but runs slightly smaller, please strictly rely on the measurements (flat lay on one side): Shoulder to shoulder - 41 cm (16 ...Category
1990s Coats and Outerwear
- SS 2003 Roberto Cavalli Chinoiserie DressBy Roberto CavalliLocated in Prague, CZA stunning soft and stretchy polyamide dress with beautiful silk chiffon shoulder details. Size S, but will also comfortably fit Medium (up to 8 US)....Category
Early 2000s Cocktail Dresses
- Vintage Cartier Salisbury Rimless Platine Grey Gradient Lens France SunglassesBy CartierLocated in Baleares, BalearesNew Cartier Salisbury unique rimless sunglasses with Grey G15 (uv protection) lenses. Frame with the front and sides in platine. All hallmarks. Cart...Category
1980s French Sunglasses
- New Vintage Cazal 855 Translucent Frame Collectors Item 1980's SunglassesBy CazalLocated in Baleares, BalearesNew Vintage Cazal Collectors Item Translucent With Colours Accents Frame. Mono Blue Gradient Lenses With Light Wear Due To Storage. Made In Germany. Measurements Front : 13 Cms...Category
1970s German Sunglasses
- Valentino vintage eyeglassesBy ValentinoLocated in Santa Clarita, CAMAKE: Valentino MODEL: 5128 - K3B MADE IN: Italy ERA: 90s CONDITION: New Old Stock [never worn] DIMENSIONS: Lens width: 49 mm / 1 15/16 in Bridge: 17 mm / 11/16 in Temple arm le...Category
1990s Italian Sunglasses
- New Vintage Jean Paul Gaultier 56 0051 90's Japan SunglassesBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Baleares, BalearesNew Vintage Jean Paul Gaultier wrap around black & mocha frame with green and blue Lenses. Design And Produced In The 1900'S A Timeless And Iconic Piece. A True Fashion Statement ...Category
1990s Japanese Sunglasses
- New Vintage Rare Silhouette Futura 570 White Collector Item 1970 SunglassesBy MenradLocated in Baleares, BalearesNew Vintage Collector Item Silhouette Futura 570 in white. Designed by Dora Demmel in 1973, this rare piece is the epitome of avant garde & futurist...Category
1970s German Sunglasses
- Dolce & Gabbana black gold sunglasses NWOTBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Capri, ITDolce & Gabbana black gold sunglasses NWOT Black sunglasses gold handmade stem totally made in italy still with boxCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Sunglasses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
How John Galliano Caused Fashion Chaos around the Globe
The visionary designer epitomizes the pleasures and perils of irrepressible creative genius.
Too Soon for the Return of ’90s Fashion? As If
There's a renewed appreciation for the era's aesthetic, perhaps most notably among millennials seeking authentic, easy style.