Dior

French designer Christian Dior unveiled his first collection on February 12, 1947, in Paris. His aesthetic, called the “New Look,” celebrated ultra-femininity and opulence and focused on a silhouette featuring rounded shoulders, a cinched waist and very full skirts. In the post-World War environment, after years of deprivation and strict military wardrobes, his fashion vision was a revelation for women.

Dior also was a keen businessman. In 1950, he and partner Jacques Rouët pioneered a licensing program that put the label’s name on other luxury goods, including neckties, fur, hosiery, handbags, lingerie and jewelry. The French Chamber of Couture denounced the move, but it made Christian Dior a household name and became the industry’s standard operation.

After Dior’s sudden death in 1957 from a heart attack, young designer Yves Saint Laurent briefly took over the creative director responsibilities from 1957 to 1960. Others that have followed include Marc Bohan (1960-1989), John Galliano (1997-2011) and Raf Simons (2012-2015), among others. Currently, Maria Grazia Chiuri oversees the women’s collections and Kim Jones leads the men’s.

Dior was acquired by French billionaire Bernard Arnault in December 1984 for “one symbolic franc” after its then-owner, the Willot Group, declared bankrupty. Now part of luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the label is led by CEO and chairperson Delphine Arnault.