Les deux déesses - two masterworks by Christian Dior, 1949

 

The Dior gowns for fall/winter 1949-50, Junon and Vénus, photographed at the Pré Catalan in Paris for Harper's Bazaar by Richard Avedon, August, 1949.

Junon, named after the Roman queen of the gods, Juno - the Greek Hera - the blue sequined embellishment a reference to Juno's sacred animal, the peacock.

Vénus, named after the Roman goddess of love - the Greek Aphrodite - the wavy, pearlescent spangles a reference to Venus' "nautical" birth. 

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Two more of Avedon's images, photographed at the Pré Catalan in the summer of 1949.

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As one might expect, the care and preservation of these iconic garments is quite challenging. Dust and dirt need to be carefully vacuumed from yards and yards of fragile, unwashable silk net, which is covered in thousands of sequins, paillettes, and beading that can only be cleaned by hand, individually, one at a time. And then loss of the embellishments is a great concern, as the aging thread that attaches sequins and the like eventually fails, and each fallen bit needs to be accounted for and reattached. All of this while putting the least amount of stress on extremely delicate fabric that is more than seventy-five years old.

Profligate yardage - gowns by Jacques Griffe, 1950-59

The photographs here are by Willy Maywald, Regina Relang, Richard Avedon, and others.

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Griffe demonstrating his design method using a miniature mannequin. Photograph by Georges Saad, 1949.

Jacques Griffe (29 November 1909, Conques-sur-Orbiel - 24 June 1996, Castelnaudary), French couturier and costume designer. He first served as an apprenticeship for a tailor in Carcassonne, beginning at the age of sixteen, before relocating to Toulouse where he worked for Mirra, a dressmaker who followed the Paris collections. After fulfilling his military service in 1936, he went to work as a cutter with Madeleine Vionnet in Paris. In the three years spent under her supervision and mentorship, he perfected his technical skills, eventually following the example of Vionnet in his use of a miniature mannequin to work out his design ideas, and becoming a master of draping and cutting, particularly known for his tour de force execution of complicated - shirring, pleating, tucking, etc. - fabric manipulation.

In 1941 - or 1942, depending on the source - he opened his own couture house on place Gaillon. He was later mobilized though, captured, and spent eighteen months in a Pomeranian prison camp. After the war, he relocated his couture house to 29, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and then moved once again, in 1951, when he took over Edward Molyneux's salon at 5, rue Royale. During this period he also, like other couturiers, became known for his fragrances, with names like Enthusiasme, Griffonnage, Mistigri, Doodle, and Grilou. He closed his business in 1968 - or 1973, depending on the source - and retired to Villesiscle, near Carcassonne. When he died, at the age of eighty-four, he was buried nearby in Conques-sur-Orbiel, the place of his birth.

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For even more of his designs, including daywear and less "floofy" gowns, visit this Flickr album.