Christian Dior chronology 

  • January 21 1905
Birth of Christian Dior on January 21 at Granville
  • 1911
The Dior family moves to Paris. The Villa Les Rhumbs becomes a holiday home. The family retreats there during World War I.
  • 1925
Christian Dior designs the pond and the pergola in the garden.
  • Années 1920
He frequents artistic circles and is friends with Christian Bérard, Jean Cocteau, Erik Satie, Henri Sauguet…
  • 1928
Christian Dior opens an art gallery in partnership with Jacques Bonjean.
  • 1932
He partners with the Pierre Colle gallery and shows numerous contemporary artists, including Salvador Dalí, Alberto Giacometti, Alexandre Calder …
  • 1935 - 1942
Christian Dior sells fashion illustrations to a number of milliners and couturiers. Some of his illustrations are published, notably in the newspaper Le Figaro.
  • 1938
He becomes a designer for the couturier Robert Piguet.
  • 1941
Christian Dior joins the couturier Lucien Lelong's team and becomes the head designers.
  • 12 février 1947

Presentation of the first Maison Christian Dior Haute Couture collection. The "New Look" is a revolution in the history of fashion.

  • 1947 - 1957
Christian Dior creates 22 Haute Couture collections in an ongoing design of new lines. He conquers the world by establishing licences and selling Haute Couture patterns through approved ateliers in several countries.
  • 1947
The first Dior perfume is born, Miss Dior, created by Paul Vacher.
  • 24 octobre 1957
Christian Dior dies suddenly of a heart attack in Montecatini, Italy. He is buried in Callian, in the Var region.
  • 1957
Yves Saint Laurent is appointed creative director of the Maison Dior.
  • 1960
Marc Bohan is appointed creative director of the Maison Dior.
  • 1987
To mark the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Dior couture house, anexhibition entitled Christian Dior, l'autre lui-même (Christian Dior, the Other Himself) is organised by Jean-Luc  Dufresne, Christian Dior's second cousin from Granville and curator of the Richard Anacréon Modern Art Museum in Granville. This exhibition is the starting point of the project to open a museum devoted to Christian Dior in the couturier's childhood home in Granville, Villa Les Rhumbs.
  • 1989
Gianfranco Ferré is appointed creative director of the Maison Dior.
  • 1991
Fondation of the non-profit association « Présence de Christian Dior ». thanks to Jean-Luc Dufresne and a team of volunteers. Presided currently by Jean-Paul Claverie, advisor to the President of LVMH, it manages the museum and carries out its cultural and scientific project as a public service delegated by the City of Granville, which owns the villa and the collections. The association is backed by public (City of Granville, Regional Council of Basse-Normandie, the French state) and private partners (Dior, LVMH).
  • 1996
John Galliano is appointed creative director of the Maison Dior.
  • 1997
The Christian Dior Museum is opened to the public. This museum is the only official "Musée de France" devoted to a couturier.
  • 2009
Brigitte Richart is appointed curator of the Christian Dior Museum in Granville. 
  • Juin 2012
The Christian Dior Museum in Granville is awarded the « Maison des Illustres » label (House of the Famous).
  • 2012
Raf Simons is appointed creative director of the Maison Dior.