In the twenty-first century, ambassador and brand deals have become big business in the fashion industry. An actress, musician, or socialite signs with a particular fashion house and most (if not all) of their public clothing is provided by that house. However, I am more interested in those public figures that are not signed to a specific house. What designers are they gravitating towards for their notable moments? When I walk through fashion history exhibitions, I am often struck by the public figures that have chosen various designers. For this week’s Style File Friday, I will be exploring Olivia de Havilland’s Dior wedding suit!
Who is Olivia de Havilland?
Olivia de Havilland was a British-American actress; when she died in 2020 she was the oldest living Academy Award winner. She was nominated for an Academy Award five times, starting with her performance in Gone With the Wind. De Havilland won the 1946 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for To Each His Own. And along with her acting prowess, she was known for her sophisticated sense of style.
Olivia de Havilland- Dior Wedding Suit
Although this may not be what we think of when we think “wedding dress” today, de Havilland wore this impeccably tailored Dior suit for her 1955 wedding to French journalist Pierre Galante. This wool suit belongs to the Dior A line, from the Spring/Summer 1955 collection. (I was lucky enough to see it in the Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition in 2019.)
Notably, Christian Dior himself attended the wedding. In the 1956 film, The Ambassador’s Daughter, de Havilland played a character who pretended to be a Dior model. The actress and designer became close friends throughout filming. While many actresses and public figures will change their house loyalty frequently, de Havilland remained a loyal Dior client through the 1970s.
What do you think of Olivia de Havilland’s Dior wedding suit?
Cheers,
The Historian
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