Christian Dior established his own fashion house in Paris in 1946.
The new company was created with financial support from Marcel Boussac, a French textile industrialist. Dior took over premises at 30 Avenue Montaigne and assembled a team to develop couture collections under his own name. The house’s formal establishment came before its celebrated first show.
Dior presented that first collection on 12 February 1947. The distinction between 1946 and 1947 is often blurred because the fashion house was founded in 1946 but achieved international fame through the following year’s debut collection.
Before founding the company, Dior had worked as a fashion illustrator and as an assistant to established designers. His independent house quickly expanded beyond clothing into accessories and fragrance, helping create the modern model of a coordinated luxury brand.