Dior History Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of the Iconic Brand

Christian Dior SE is a French multinational luxury fashion house that sells only shoes and clothing that can only be bought in Dior stores. Haute couture is under the Christian Dior Couture division. Delphine Arnault has been the CEO of Christian Dior Couture since 2023. The company was founded in 1946 by French fashion designer Christian Dior, who was originally from Normandy. The New Look, launched in 1947, was a revolutionary era for women at the end of the 1940s. The New Look became extremely popular, its full-skirted silhouette influencing other fashion designers well into the 1950s. Dior revolutionized the perfumery industry with the launch of the highly popular Miss Dior parfum, which was named after Catherine Dior (Christian Dior's sister). By the end of 1953, the company operated firmly established locations in Mexico, Cuba, Canada, and Italy. Christian Dior appeared on the cover of TIME dated 4 March 1957. After Dior's death, Yves Saint-Laurent was promoted to Artistic Director in 1957, who initially proved to have been the most appropriate choice. Saint-Laurent left after the completion of six Dior collections. Laurent was replaced at Dior by designer Marc Bohan in late 1960. Bohan instilled his conservative style on the collections. In 1967, "Baby Dior" opens its first boutique at 28 Avenue Montaigne. The Christian Dior Coordinated Knit line is released in 1968 and management of the Fashion Furs Department of Christian Dior is taken by Frédéric Castet.Christian Dior: A Timeline of Key Events

Christian Dior Cosmetics was launched in 1969, followed by the first Christian Dior Homme clothing line in 1970.
The Boussac Group, which owned Dior, filed for bankruptcy in 1978, and the Willot Group purchased its assets, including Dior, in 1984.
Bernard Arnault became chairman, CEO, and managing director of Dior in 1985 and repositioned the company as Christian Dior S.A. of the Dior Couture fashion business.
In 1988, Arnault's Christian Dior S.A. took a 32% equity stake in Moët-Hennessy • Louis Vuitton, creating one of the leading luxury goods companies in the world.
Gianfranco Ferré replaced Bohan as head designer in 1989, and he was the first non-French designer to lead the brand.
John Galliano replaced Ferré in 1997 and became known for his controversial fashion shows and innovative advertising campaigns.
In 2011, Galliano was fired from Dior after making anti-Semitic remarks, and Bill Gaytten was appointed as head designer interim until a permanent replacement was found.
Dior underwent subtle changes in its designs during the 13-month period of having no artistic director.
Raf Simons was appointed as artistic director of Dior in 2012.
The fashion house celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of Maison Dior in 2007 and launched the redesigned dior.com in 2011.
Dior has expanded its business to include cosmetics, watches, jewelry, and fragrances.
Dior has opened boutiques in upscale locations worldwide, including New York City, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Moscow, and Paris.The History of Dior in 2022
Belgian designer Raf Simons was appointed the new artistic director of Christian Dior in 2012, and his first collection was much better received than his predecessor's.
In 2015, Rihanna became the first black woman to take the spokesperson position at Dior.
In 2016, Maria Grazia Chiuri was named the women's artistic director for Dior.
In March 2018, Kim Jones was named the men's artistic director for the house.
In October 2019, Dior apologized to China for using a map of China that excluded Taiwan.
In March 2022, 30 Avenue Montaigne, the place where Christian Dior showcased his first collection, was reopened to the public after a major renovation led by architect Peter Marino.
In January 2023, Delphine Arnault would assume the role of chairperson and CEO, beginning in February.
Dior has created strong partnerships with Hollywood celebrities and social media influencers, working closely with these individuals to reach more demographics and re-establish its identity as a new, modern brand.
In 2000, Galliano's collection inspired by homeless people drew criticism to the house of Dior.
In early 2011, John Galliano was accused of making anti-semitic comments after drinking in Paris.
In 2017, Dior was accused of cultural appropriation by directly plagiarizing a Bihor coat, a traditional Romanian vest, by using the same colour and patterns in its pre-fall collection.
In April 2022, Dior released a new midi-skirt in Seoul, Dior's art director Maria Grazia Chiuri described the 2022 Fall collection design was inspired by school uniform (including pleated skirts), also in honour of Catherine Dior.
At the end of 2010, the only declared major shareholder in Christian Dior S.A. was Groupe Arnault SAS, the family holding company of Bernard Arnault.
The company operates a total of 535 locations as of April 2023.