Christian Dior

The undisputed King of Couture, Christian Dior burst onto the fashion scene on February 12, 1947 when he caused a sensation with his "Corolle" line which was famously dubbed the "New Look" and consisted of long skirts and nipped in waists. Transforming the couture landscape for the next ten years until his death in 1958, Dior continued to be a major force in the fashion world with a new silhouette each season, including the "Princess" line of 1951, the “H” line of 1954, and the “A” and “Y” lines of 1955. Dior's assistant, a young Yves Saint Laurent, took over as head designer at the House of Dior until 1960 when he started his own house and Marc Bohan stepped in. Gianfranco Ferre took his place in 1989 followed by John Galliano in 1996, Bill Gaytten in 2011 and Raf Simmons today. The New York, London, and Boutique lines were added House and are ready-to-wear.