CHRISTIAN DIOR designer handbags brown saddle double calf leather M701 designer purse. Dark brown calf leather with contrasting stitching. Flap over top closure with a magnetic snap. Christian Dior D logo in polished silver hardware is inlaid with brown leather. The leather strap is secured to the bag with the Dior C and D metal logo also inlaid with leather. Fully lined interior with one zippered pocket on the back wall. The pocket holds the leather Christian Dior Paris logo tag with the serial number of the purse on the reverse side. The Dior bag measures approximately 12 W x 6 H with a 3.75 inch depth. The strap measures about 24 inches long with a 9.5 inch drop. Guaranteed authentic. Comes with sleeper bag. The Past and the Present from infomat fashion industry search engine. Fashion Designer Christian Dior 1905 1957 was born in Normandy France. At his parents insistence he studied political science. After military service and several years of indecision he returned to Paris in 1935 and began his design career by selling sketches. His hat designs were initially more successful than his dress designs. But he concentrated on his dress designs and was hired by Robert Piguet in 1938. During the war he served in the South of France then returned again to Paris in 1941 and worked for Lucien Lelong a much larger design house. In 1946 he was able to open his own house backed by textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac. For his first collection in 1947 he created the extremely popular New Look which featured rounded shoulders a cinched waist and a very full skirt. Dior created an opulent clothing style which contrasted the severe living conditions of post war France. After the war he helped to re establish Paris as the capital of world fashion. Dior became the last great dictator of style in the 1950s. Each collection throughout this period had a theme classic suits ballerina length skirts the H line in 1954 and A and Y lines in 1955.Together with his partner Jaques Rouet Dior was the pioneer for license agreements in the fashion business. Already in 1948 he decided to arrange licensed production of furs socks ties perfumes and clothing in regionally seperate production centers. Thus spreading the brand name quickly around the globe.In 1953 he hired Yves Saint Laurent as an assistant. After Diors sudden death in October 1957 in Italy Saint Laurent became head designer and introduced the trapeze dress in his first collection for the house. When Saint Laurent was called for military duty in 1960 Marc Bohan took over remaining until Gianfranco Ferre became designer in 1989. Ferre is to be replaced by the end of 1996.After much talk about possible successors of Ferre it has been confirmed in October 1996 that John Galliano will take his place as chief designer for Dior. Galliano known as the current enfant terrible of the fashion business was responsible for Givenchy for two seasons before switching to Dior. It is believed that Diors parent company LVMH wants rejuvenate Diors appearence hoping it will create a equally astonishing run on Dior products like Tom Ford created for Gucci. Indeed Gallianos approach to fashion resembles Diors intention when he started in 1947. In contrast to Chanel for example Dior established a romantic and very feminine look which emphasised luxury rather than comfort. Galliano as Diors successor creates an equally feminine style blending todays freedom of expression with the reminiscence of past opulence.