The muses of Dior

Many famous couturiers have designed film costumes but Christian Dior was the only one, who already had been designing costumes for years before founding his label. In 1939 he was working anonymously at Piguet when he has designed the costumes for Sheridan’s School for Scandal movie.Many famous couturiers have designed film costumes but Christian Dior was the only one, who already had been designing costumes for years before founding his label. In 1939 he was working anonymously at Piguet when he has designed the costumes for Sheridan’s School for Scandal movie.

At his first runaway show of February 1947, Marlene Dietrich was already in attendance. At that time she also lived in Paris and she was already a friend of Dior. She was wearing Chandernagor design, a dress from the Corolle line with a Bar jacket, the pieces of which were from the newest - and first - collection of Dior.

The Famous Chandernagor dress (resource: Deutsche Kinemathek)

By the late 1940s Dietrich was already famous and a beloved actress thanks to his early films like The Blue Angel from 1930.

In1949 Alfred Hitchcock told Jack Warner he wants to direct a new movie and he wants Marlene Dietrich as Charlotte Inwood in 1950’s Stage Fright. 

Marlene Dietrich

When they negotiated her contract, Dietrich was very clear on one point: it should be Christian Dior who would design her costumes. Hitchcock and Warner have made a mistake by having hesitated and not saying immediately yes to Dietrich. The now-famous phrase came after this “No Dior, no Dietrich!” The two had no other choice than accept Dietrich’s wish and finally they managed to negotiate a 25-percent discount from the House of Dior for all the couture designs. She travelled to Paris and started to select the outfits for the movie. Then she has sent sketches to London to Hitchcock, where the film had actually been filmed and waited for the director’s approval.

Marlene Dietrich was a clever woman. When she has signed her contracts she has also stipulated that she would keep all of her costumes, after finishing the movie.

Marlene Dietrich in the movie Strage Fright

Stage Fright was Dior’s first official Hollywood movie, but not his last. He later worked together with Dietrich on other movies, as well, and Dietrich was wearing Dior many times but not just couture clothes.

In 1949, Diorama, the famous Dior fragrance was launched, Dietrich has also chosen to wear it. In1954 Dietrich would also become a model for the Dior Lingerie.