Perhaps it is no surprise that there was a lifelong rivalry between Christian Dior and Coco : the great French fashion designers sprang from different worlds.Dior, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman, was brought up in middle-class comfort. Chanel, daughter of a laundrywoman, was born into poverty and was taken into an orphanage, aged 11, when her mother died.The iconic looks the two designers created from of were as different as their background. Dior’s ‘New Look’, with its rounded shoulders, cinched-in waists and full skirts was hailed as a break from wartime austerity. The simple lines of Chanel’s elegant but formal tweed suits were inspired by the comfortable clothing worn by men.
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