Who created Christian Dior’s Trapeze Line, introduced in 1958?

Yves Saint Laurent created Christian Dior’s Trapeze Line, introduced in 1958 while he was the house’s artistic director.

Saint Laurent joined the House of Dior in 1955 as an assistant to Christian Dior. After Dior died in October 1957, Saint Laurent became artistic director and presented his first Dior collection in January 1958. The Trapeze Line broadened gently from the shoulders, producing a youthful, freely moving shape.

Its success helped establish Saint Laurent as a major designer in his own right. The line differed from the tightly waisted New Look associated with Dior’s earliest collections, although it still relied on carefully controlled construction.

The Trapeze Line is often mistakenly attributed to Dior himself because it was presented under the Dior name. It was Saint Laurent’s work during his short tenure at the house, before he left in 1960.