Christian Dior, (born January 21, 1905, Granville, France—died October 24, 1957, Montecatini, Italy), French fashion designer whose creations dominated world fashion in the decade following World War II.
Dior was born into a wealthy family and trained for the French foreign service, but in the midst of the financial crisis of the 1930s he went to work illustrating fashions for the weekly Figaro Illustré. In 1938 he became an assistant designer for the leading couturier of Paris, Robert Piguet, and four years later joined the house of designer Lucien Lelong (1889–1958).