Christian Dior founded his Parisian fashion house in 1946, with backing from the textile manufacturer Marcel Boussac. On 12 February 1947, the House of Dior launched its first collection. Dubbed the ‘New Look’ by the press, the collection had an instant and unparalleled influence on fashion around the world.

Following the success of his haute couture house in Paris, in 1952 Christian Dior set up a London-based company, C. D. Models (London) Ltd., to sell high-end ready-to-wear versions of his designs to the British public. Originally based in Stratford Place with workrooms in Maddox Street, the first collection of the London branch of Dior was launched at the Savoy Hotel on 10th December 1952. The London collection was based on the Paris haute couture collections but modified for a British clientele. In December 1954, the company changed name to Christian Dior London Ltd.

Dior wrote that ‘many a dress of mine is born of the fabric alone’, and in this dress he manipulates the luxurious, crisp satin organza to great effect. The two bows on the bodice of this dress appear to hold the soft gathers of the material together as it flows from the deep, falling collar into the closely fitting bodice. The bodice is complemented by a simple skirt. Full and short, its bouffant shape is pleated into a tight waist and supported by four layers of net petticoat beneath, the innermost reinforced by horsehair stiffening.