Christian Dior opened his Avenue Montaigne house in 1946 and, within a season, reset the shape of post-war dressing. The 1947 collection the press named the New Look — cinched waist, softened shoulder, extravagant skirt — is still the reference point every later creative director answers to.
The house has run through distinct hands, and each leaves a different signature in the archive. Marc Bohan's long tenure produced the restrained, beautifully cut daywear that collectors quietly hunt. Gianfranco Ferré brought architectural volume through the late eighties. John Galliano's years turned the runway theatrical and the pieces highly identifiable. Each period reads differently in the hand.
What we look for at Bespoke Atelier is condition and coherence: a piece that still carries its hardware, its lining and its original character. Dior jewellery and hardware in particular were made to a standard that survives decades of wear, which is why archive costume sets remain one of the most reliable entry points into collecting the house.