Among the many fashion drawings of René Gruau, this is the one I like most.
It was commissioned to the artist by Christian Dior in 1949.
Christian Dior and René Gruau together, were the makers of a new feminine figure, who became the symbol of the refined woman representing the New look of the post-war. A sinuous silhouette, highlighted by narrow waist and elegantly dressed with fine fabrics and precious accessories, gloves, hats, shawls and adorned by jewels.
This was the woman to whom Dior was thinking when creating his collections and this was the woman designed by Gruau and published in the most important fashion magazines of the period.
In the book “Christian Dior & moi” , the stylist shows to women how to dress in splendour, with long robes, narrow waisted and perfect architected, utilizing tens of meters of refined fabrics, with exquisite colors, chosen with meticulous care by Dior himself and his impressive staff of collaborators, seamstresses, embroiderer, cloth cutters, make-up and jewellery directors, hair-dressers, Manager before its time of what the Maison would have become today.
Christian Dior was a very superstitious man and this characteristic has only increased along the years passing by. One of the fascinating elements of his life has always been the attention to the signs that marked important moments and together with them the small talismans and objects accompanying them.
Since the beginning at least one of his creations in each defilé should have the name Granville, and at least one model should bring with her a bouquet of lilies.
Furthermore Monsieur Dior used to keep always a clover in his pocket. It was one of his favorite talisman, symbol of luck, and he was inseparable from it.
The rose too being for Dior an important symbol, today still considered en emblem of the Maison. It was a tender memory of his Granville childhood garden. The rose recalls the love felt by Christian Dior for his mother, the one who transmitted to him passion for the flowers and for the feminine elegance.
And here we go with the Lucky Dior, the signet rings presented this season by the Maison Dior as a very romantic memory of all the symbols loved by Monsieur and represented in a very contemporary way.
Those lucky charms are available in seven different combinations of shapes, stones, and symbols—one for each day of the week—the rings are meant to be worn as lucky charms. The different symbols each reflect the house of Dior: the bee, lily-of-the-valley, clover, rose, star, oval, and CD initials all represent Dior's best-known imagery. In other words, time to get shopping because you need to collect them all.
I have particularly appreciated two of them: the one with the clover, a classical lucky charm, represented on an amazonite ring, in blue/green pale color, a stone that in addition has the property to inspire trust. And also the rose signet ring, a symbol donating wisdom, finely designed on a blue navy lapis lazuli stone.
But that's not all. The Maison Dior symbolism lives again in the bags of this season too, and it is there for shopping.
My Lady Dior is the just introduced iconic bag in a totally new size and in many colors, with in addition the surprise to personalize the strap with the Lucky badges Dior, many small pins that, evoking the Maison symbols, can reveal the personality of who has chosen them, sending also a personal message.
It looks like to go girls again, willing to play with all those little accessories to be collected. Colored, pleasing, funny and joyful lucky charms, can draw a smile even to the most serious ones and make everyone to want them all.
The introduction of those new products leads also to make some interesting considerations about the Maison marketing strategy. Dior holds an extreme luxury positioning, built upon its fascinating story and its exceptional creations.
With those recent activities, though not compromising its positioning and continuing to keep a strong coherence with its brand heritage - uniqueness, symbolism and strong bond with Monsieur Dior - it adds a playful dimension together with the possibility to get closer to the brand with an increased frequency.
And yes, how would you not buy more than one ring or more than the three charms as supplied for the bag strap? This is really the playful dimension of gathering, as I am pretty sure that not few women will desire "to complete the collection", both rings and charms, though presented in a limited edition, an element contributing to maintain uniqueness and rarity.
This strategy has certainly also the objective to wink at a younger client, if not by age at leasts for her mood.
Elegance is not sin, on the contrary.
This could be the lesson left by Monsieur Dior: never underestimate the fulfilling self-confidence one can feel when wearing an artisan needlecraft cloth, made with care at every detail, adorned with original accessories and accompanied by a perfectly manufactured bag and why not, even personalized.
