Christian Dior was very superstitious, to the point of establishing in his couture and his company a set of talismans, both guides and good luck charms. There is lily of the valley, clover, star, bee and the number 8.
The Star And The 8 On The Road To Destiny Dior
Christian Dior is known to have been very superstitious, he especially knew how to listen to the signs that surrounded him. In 1919, at only 14 years old, Christian Dior also consulted his first clairvoyant, during a fair in Granville. “You will find yourself without money, but women will benefit you and it is through them that you will succeed. You will get big profits and you will have to make many crossings” she predicted.
In 1946, Christian Dior was about to meet Marcel Boussac. The King of cotton, as we then nicknamed him, wanted to suggest to Dior that he take over the artistic direction of the fashion house Philippe et Gaston. Christian Dior hesitated. The urge to get started was becoming more and more urgent. Three times the meeting was invoked – it is a childhood friend, Georges Vigouroux, crossed three times in a row in the streets of Paris, who knows Marcel Boussac, who tried to convince Dior to change his future.
This evening of April 18, 1946, the day before this important meeting, the legend writes: “while going up Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, Christian Dior hit an object on the ground and failed to fall, as if the object itself was trying to get his attention. He turns around, approaches, and finds that he has just been struck by a star, just outside the British Embassy. His childhood in Granville, in Normandy, awakened in him.
The next day, Christian Dior announced to Marcel Boussac that he will not take over the Philippe and Gaston house, but that he is ready to open a company in his name “where everything would be new from the state of mind and the staff down to the furniture and the room.” After endless discussions with the investor, Dior wins his dream, the Dior house will be born.
It takes place in the heart of the 8th arrondissem*nt of Paris. At 30 Avenue Montaigne, “behind the small hotel at the start, a new eight-story building – eight workshops – with another building, also eight-story, doubled” notes Christian Dior in his memoirs. The 8 is indeed another very suggestive sign.
Chanel had the number 5, and Dior had the 8. It is surely the sensuality of this figure which, marking the infinite once overturned, pleased him so much. Finally, he made it a line – an aesthetic itself. His iconic silhouette which he describes as “clean and shapely, underlined throat, hollowed waist, accentuated hips” This is line 8.
It is therefore no coincidence to find today this figure that will amaze the eye and technology in the Dior Grand VIII, this exceptional watch marked by Dior’s expertise and grammar.
Lily of the Valley, The Clover And The Dior Bee, The Enchanted Garden
Dior was actually carrying a string of lucky charms. He never left without his bunch of charms – a sprig of dried lily of the valley, in an ornate reliquary, a four-leaf clover, the star found on Rue Saint-Honoré, two hearts, a piece of wood and another in gold.
From his favorite flower, lily of the valley, Dior would make it an essential part of his couture. First there is this dried strand which he sews at the hem of each of his creations. Then there is the lily of the valley which he wears in a buttonhole and the one he offers, every May 1st, to his “little hands” and his biggest customers.
Finally, there is lily of the valley in couture – lily of the valley which inspires a whole collection in Spring 1954. The Lily of the Valley Dress enters the annals of fashion history. A dress “at the same time young, flexible and simple” he says; a dress whose pockets of lily of the valley remind her of the “volume of the hat, volume of the bust, volume of the skirt. He loves thrush so much that he arranged for his florist to have it all year round at his disposal.
Dior’s enchanted garden is also the four-leaf clover. This symbol of luck, the designer gave him a considerable place in the choices of his destiny. A little less present in couture, it is the jeweler Victoire de Castellanne who sublimates its heritage in crazy and grandiloquent jewelry. Like a talisman, the clover is adorned here with a green stone, the Amazonite – a symbol of trust.
Finally, if the bee was so dear to Christian Dior, it was because it was, in his eyes, the quickest insect to symbolize the strength and vigor of its fashion house. “A small hive full to bursting, that is what my house was when I presented my first collection” notes Christian Dior in his memoirs. Its seamstresses, Dior nicknamed them “the bees” – conscientious and busy, they are capable of achieving exploits. Sometimes more than 400 or 500 hours of work to make a single dress.
Recently, it was for a sublime crazy coat imagined by Kim Jones that they once again demonstrated the full extent of their genius – 900 hours of embroidery to complete such a couture miracle. The quintessence of Dior know-how is in the hands of its ‘bees’.
As an enthusiast deeply immersed in the world of fashion and design, particularly with a focus on Christian Dior, allow me to share my comprehensive knowledge on the fascinating intersection of superstition, symbolism, and creativity in Dior's life and the development of his iconic fashion house.
Christian Dior's profound superstitions are evident throughout his life and work, serving as guiding principles and sources of good luck. The talismans he embraced, such as the lily of the valley, clover, star, bee, and the number 8, played pivotal roles in shaping his destiny and the success of the Dior brand.
One striking instance of Dior's reliance on signs and symbols occurred in 1919 when, at the age of 14, he consulted his first clairvoyant. The clairvoyant predicted a future marked by financial challenges but assured him that women would play a crucial role in his success. This early encounter with fate foreshadowed Dior's reliance on intuition and signs throughout his life.
The pivotal moment in Dior's career came in 1946 when he was on the verge of meeting Marcel Boussac, the King of cotton, to discuss taking over the artistic direction of the fashion house Philippe et Gaston. Dior hesitated, but the universe seemed to intervene. A childhood friend, Georges Vigouroux, crossed paths with Dior three times in Paris, urging him to reconsider. On the eve of the crucial meeting, Dior had a serendipitous encounter with a star outside the British Embassy, a moment that fueled his decision to establish his own eponymous fashion house.
The choice of location for the Dior house, at 30 Avenue Montaigne in the heart of the 8th arrondissem*nt of Paris, was not arbitrary. Dior, deeply influenced by superstition, considered the number 8 as a powerful sign. Just as Chanel had the number 5, Dior adopted the 8 as a symbol of sensuality and incorporated it into his design philosophy, creating the iconic silhouette known as "line 8."
Dior's personal collection of lucky charms, including a dried lily of the valley, a four-leaf clover, the star found on Rue Saint-Honoré, two hearts, a piece of wood, and another in gold, further exemplified his belief in the mystical and the symbolic. The lily of the valley, in particular, became an integral part of his couture, adorning the hems of his creations and inspiring entire collections, such as the famous Lily of the Valley Dress from Spring 1954.
The four-leaf clover, symbolizing luck, held significant importance in Dior's choices, and jeweler Victoire de Castellanne elevated its presence in grandiose jewelry, often incorporating the green stone Amazonite as a symbol of trust.
Lastly, the bee, representing strength and vigor, held a special place in Dior's heart. He likened his bustling fashion house to a small hive, and his skilled seamstresses, affectionately called "the bees," were the driving force behind his couture miracles. The bee motif, embodying industriousness and dedication, continues to be a symbol of Dior's unparalleled craftsmanship.
In essence, Christian Dior's superstitious beliefs, guided by signs, symbols, and talismans, not only shaped his personal journey but also left an indelible mark on the aesthetics and ethos of the iconic Dior brand.
