On what date did Christian Dior present his first couture collection in Paris in 1947?

Christian Dior presented his first couture collection in Paris on February 12, 1947.

The presentation took place at Dior’s newly established couture house at 30 Avenue Montaigne. The collection contained around 90 looks and introduced the rounded shoulders, fitted waists, and full skirts that soon became associated with Dior’s postwar style.

The date is closely connected with the phrase “New Look,” which Carmel Snow of Harper’s Bazaar reportedly used after seeing the collection. Dior himself called the collection Ligne Corolle, or “Corolla Line,” referring to the shape of flower petals.

A common mix-up is to treat 1947 as the year the house opened and the date of the show as interchangeable. Dior founded his fashion house in 1946, but the landmark collection was shown the following year. The February presentation established Dior as one of Paris couture’s most influential designers.