“Individuality will always be one of the conditions of real elegance.” - Christian Dior
Christian Dior, who was known for his simplistically elegant designs, founded his storied French fashion house in 1946. Prior to launching his namesake brand, Dior worked alongside Pierre Balmain at Lucien Lelong where they designed dresses for the wives of military officers and French collaborators. Dior’s designs were more voluptuous and body-hugging than the boxy, and thus became an expert at creating feminine shapes and silhouettes for any woman of any size.
Dior was so dedicated to ensuring every modern woman of the 50s looked impeccable and elegant, he wrote a guide called “Little Dictionary of Fashion” in 1954, which included rules about fashion and handbags. He said purses should always be made of the highest quality materials and exclusively handcrafted, and he was clearly a man of his word.
DIOR’S EXQUISITE MATERIALS
Dior’s been designing handbags for decades, and they’ve stood the test of time. Let’s take a look at some of the high-quality fabrics that are now used on Dior bags.
ULTRA-MATTE LEATHER
The Ultra-Matte leather features a smooth, tonal upper. Neither super dressy nor super casual, the broad matte application results in a timeless and sleek design with a modern twist that goes with just about anything.
OBLIQUE MONOGRAM JACQUARD
While not exactly a material, the Oblique Jacquard features an artsy monogram design. Used on the Saddle Bags, 30 Montaigne and the Book Totes, this super sturdy canvas fabric is the perfect choice for any logo-lover who wants tote their essentials in style.
CANNAGE-EMBROIDERED CANVAS
A reiteration of the now almost iconic Book Tote, this carryall is crafted in sturdy canvas with Dior’s famous Cannage Embroidery.
LAMBSKIN LEATHER
While lambskin leather is classic and beautiful, it’s easily scuffed and damaged which can make it difficult to keep clean. But it’s still a very durable choice for a bag as it won’t lose its shape or structure.
PATENT LEATHER
This gorgeous, specially-treated leather features a high-gloss, reflective finish that’s fabulous, but if it’s not properly taken care of it can be dulled, damaged, and scratched. It can be difficult to refurbish.
SHINY GOATSKIN
Made from male mountain goats, this exquisite leather is iridescent and features slight graining. Despite being lightweight and ultra-soft, it’s very tough and difficult to scratch or blemish.
BOX CALFSKIN
Box Calf is a fine-grain leather that’s commonly used in Dior bags…especially the 30 Montaigne. Due to its sturdiness, it easily retains its shape, but it’s also a delicate leather that easily scuffs and scratches. If it gets wet, it might develop blisters.
GRAINED CALFSKIN LEATHER
The grainy calfskin is one of the most popular Dior leathers due to its durability and resilience. It’s easy to clean, sturdy and strong… perfect for your customer’s everyday bag.
METALLIC CALFSKIN LEATHER
Dior’s metallic calfskin leather is not only dazzling and elegant, but it’s also extremely durable.
DIOR OBLIQUE-EMBOSSED CALFSKIN
For those shoppers who’d prefer the beauty and sturdiness of calfskin, but would like an artful, totally Dior touch, the embossed calfskin bag is a go-to choice.
DIOR’S MOST EXQUISITE HANDBAGS
J’adore Dior! Here are the top Dior handbags you should consider sourcing for your store right now.
LADY DIOR
The Lady Dior, with its elegant and sophisticated design was renamed in 1995 to honor Lady Diana, the Princess of Wales. This eternally chic tote — that comes in many sizes, colors and materials — features logo charms, dual top handles, a detachable shoulder strap, a footed seat, and interior pockets. Plus, since it’s so incredibly lovely, and almost as iconic as the Chanel Flap bag, this is a true investment bag.
DIORAMA
Introduced in 2015, this sleek and structured shoulder bag never fails to turn heads. Crafted in a range of sizes, materials and colors, it’s a luxurious accessory with a sleek chain strap that’s perfect for a gala, a wedding or Sunday brunch.
DIOREVER
The Diorever bag is the perfect work tote. This structured, elegant carryall is seriously chic, featuring minimalist lines for a classic appeal. With a crest-shaped flap closure like the Diorama, it comes with an adjustable shoulder strap, sturdy top handles, inner compartments and a flap closure. It comes in a variety of sizes, colors and materials!
J’ADIOR
The J’ADIOR is Lady Dior’s cool little sister. This structured, statement-making tote features a long CD chain strap (also available with a detachable shoulder strap) so it can be carried as a shoulder bag or crossbody. The front flap and handclasp feature a shiny J’ADIOR logo, so you can easily slip your hand inside and carry it as a clutch too! The J’ADIOR comes in four sizes: the WOC, the Mini, the Flap Bag with Chain and the Flap Bag with Shoulder Strap.
SADDLE BAG
The iconic Saddle Bag has been reinvented again and again since John Galliano first designed it in 1999. Now you can stock your store with one of the world’s most sought-after bags in monogram-embroidered canvas, ultra-matte leather and monogram jacquard-embroidered leather.
BOOK TOTE
The Dior Book Tote is the brainchild of Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and is now a staple of the Dior aesthetic. This best-selling, oversized tote is on almost everyone’s wish list these days.
30 MONTAIGNE
The Dior 30 Montaigne is a boxier design featuring logo hardware and an adjustable, double-loop shoulder strap that allows it to be worn as a crossbody. Introduced in 2019, this sleek and structured bag has a fold-over flap featuring a CD monogram, embossed “30 Montaigne” on the back, and interior and exterior pockets.
Content and images for this blog post have been sourced and referenced from LePrix.