Topline
A decade of the love and life of a fashion icon in the wake of World War II will be explored through a new Christian Dior biopic being developed by French actress and producer Elsa Zylberstein, Variety first reported, offering a rare glimpse into the life of the "fiercely private" man who created one of fashion's most enduring luxury brands.
French fashion designer Christian Dior stands in a showroom surrounded by samples of his design ... [+]
Key Facts
The film, currently being written by Julien Teisseire, will be set in 1940s and 1950s Paris and show the creation of Dior's empire in post-World War II France, his relationship with design director Raymonde Zehnacker and his love affair with Jacques Benita, three decades his junior.
Zylberstein, a César Award-winning actress, said the movie will explore the trio’s love triangle and she will star in the film as Zehnacker: "Behind every successful man there’s a woman, and that was also true for Dior," she told Variety.
Commonly credited with reviving Paris as the world’s fashion capital following World War II, the Dior brand was launched in 1947 with the "New Look"—an ultra-feminine return to opulence following war-related shortages and years of military and civilian uniforms—and the fashion house is also credited with the first use of the ultrapopular A-line silhouette in 1955.
The man behind the brand was private and subdued, Zylberstein said, and did not dream of a life in fashion—he instead wished for a career in art that was considered beneath his social class at the time, according to Marie Claire, and studied political science before dropping out to open an art gallery.
Dior is known for its reverence of the art world—a collection of Jackson Pollock-inspired pieces was released in 1984, French artist Paul Cézanne-inspired pieces in 1995 and artistic director Raf Simons, who left in 2015, famously experimented with spray paint.
Spurred by Dior's love of his mother's garden, the Dior style has been defined by nature and every collection has featured flowers.
Today, the brand is known for its iconic Lady Dior handbag, J’Adore fragrance, and the Dior Addict lipstick—its brand ambassadors have included Charlize Theron, Cara Delevigne, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Fashion couturier Christian Dior with six of his models after a fashion parade at the Savoy Hotel, ... [+]
Crucial Quote
“Christian Dior was a fiercely private man . . . he was not a flamboyant character like other fashion designers or popular cultural icons, but he was no less fascinating,” Zylberstein told Variety.
Surprising Fact
Yves Saint Laurent began a career at Christian Dior in 1955, when he was 19 years old. Two years later, Dior met with Saint Laurent's mother to tell her he would be his successor when the time came, according to Vogue. Dior died later that year and Laurent was named artistic director of the fashion house at the age of 21. He was fired in 1960 after being drafted into the French army. He founded his own namesake brand, now owned by luxury group Kering, in 1962.
A guest carrying a white embossed leather Lady D-Lite hand bag from Dior during Paris Fashion Week, ... [+]
Forbes Valuation
Christian Dior is part of the LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) holding company and conglomerate owned by French businessman Bernard Arnault. Arnault was listed as the second-richest man in the world on Forbes’ real-time billionaires list Tuesday—we estimate his net worth to be $203.5 billion. Delphine Arnault, Bernard Arnault's daughter, was named CEO of Dior in February.
Tangent
Other fashion biopics have been hit or miss in recent years. House of Gucci, which was released in 2021, broke through at the height of the Covid box office slump with a five-day domestic debut of $22 million. The film, a biographical crime drama starring Lady Gaga, grossed $153 million worldwide but was largely shut out of awards season. It earned only one Oscar nomination–for makeup and hairstyling. Gaga won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. The 2014 release Yves Saint Laurent earned $21 million worldwide, 2009’s Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky earned $6 million at the global box office and Coco Before Chanel, also released in 2009, earned $50.8 million. A 2018 show by Ryan Murphy called American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace was watched by 5.5 million people in its first three days and was the No. 1 show on basic cable in the week of its release. Dior and I, which documented Simons’ first haute couture collection with Dior, was released in 2015 and earned $1.7 million worldwide.
Models walk the runway during the Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011/2012 show as part of ... [+]
Actress Jennifer Lawrence, wearing Dior, accepts the Best Actress award for ‘Silver Linings ... [+]
Models present creations for the Christian Dior Spring-Summer 2023 fashion show during the Paris ... [+]
Further Reading
Luxury Fashion Sales Buoyed By Asia As U.S. Spending Slows (Forbes)
Gucci CEO Departs As Brand Lags Behind: Here’s How The Top Luxury Fashion Brands Are Doing (Forbes)
Hermès Reports Soaring Sales Of Birkins As Stand-Out Brand Amid Declining Luxury Market (Forbes)
