Emphasis of color - well use of mono-chromatic scheme

Advertisement of Christion Dior FW 2008

Only a single hue appear on each poster. The garments, accessories, handbags, high heels, make up and even the background colors and Dior logo are of the same hue. Once you look at the poster, you can determine what main color it is trying to sell. It's using the color principle "emphasis of color".

To avoid boring feeling, different tones and saturation effects are made, especially obvious on the background. The reflection of light on the irregular walls make single hues appear in different values. Thus every poster is showing a mono-chromatic color scheme.

In addition shape of the walls are geometrical. The special patterns match well with each garment. For example, model with the orange pleated dress match well with the wall with radial linear effect. The proportion of deep orange sections on the poster is perfectly balance to emphasis the design of the dress.

Proportion of colors - achieve a balance

2009 Ready to wear

Theme - The Eighties

Bright colors like orange, mustard and magenta are used at high value.
They are very popular in 80's, the glamazonian era of corseted waists, pointy bras, Lycra leggings, and body-conscious knitted dresses - which inspired John Galiano.
He used these colors well to express a vintage atmosphere.

Achromatic scheme

Analogous scheme

Orange + mustard, both are bright colors, looks harmony together with the same value.

Mono-chromatic scheme in most outfits

Beige and white dots with gradual change on brown chiffon dress - a new way to present the leopard printing. The outfit remains chic and young, match well with the hater neck design.

Chocolate brown in different values to create the snake-skin pattern

Complementory color scheme

Red dress with little blue and white circles to maintain harmony but not dull. The pattern makes the dress look younger and more energetic. It applies the principle of novelty, harmony colors quickly become boring. Unexpected combinaion (adding patterns in complementary colors) will draw attention.

2008 Fall Ready to wear

Theme - Valley of the Dolls

John Galliano used "Valley of the Dolls" as the theme of this collection, and put elements of the 60's to his fashion designs: Mary Quant's mini skirts in sharp colors, and Twiggy's gigantic eyes make up.

Color family of the collection - Traid

Mainly 3 hues were used in this collection- Bright violet, Shinny lake blue and orange.
It is using the triad color scheme (three colors equally spaced with each others on the color wheel).

To bring variable visual effects, different colors were used to match with the major colors in different ways. Thus, the collection looks interesting and express a happy, fairy tale like feeling.

Analogous color scheme

Complementary color scheme

Violet match with shape greenish yellow, they look harmony due to the similar value.
Value added to handbag, grooves and shoes, the outfit looks more energetic, less boring.

[?] Diad (double complementary color scheme)

Violet and turquoise are complementary, while red and blue are complementary.
The two pairs of complementary colors goes well because violet + red are analogous, and turquoise + blue are analogous.

Achromatic scheme (appear in every FW Dior collections)

2006 Fall Ready to wear

Theme - Goth-metal rock battle

Inspired by French revolution in 1789-1799, mixing with Metallic and Rock and roll music. The collection wants to express the contrast between a peaceful world and a bloody, violent world with wars.

Color family

The color family of the whole show is using a complementary scheme, in order to express the contrast between peace and violence.

Mono-chromatic color scheme

White and greyish-olive with different values was used for outfits of the first part of the show, to present a calm, peaceful and pure feeling.

Afterwards, bloody red with different values appearred for the war terror.
The necklace in sharp red matches with the skirt helps to keep the proportion of colors.
A balance between the upper part and the lower part of the outfit was achieved by this little red cross.

Chocolate brown with black.

Metalic colors

Metallic fabrics and trimmings (e.g.: sequins and huge shiny buckles) were used to match with the metallic and rockn' roll music style. Culture affects life, affects fashion and affects colors.

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There are numerous war in the history and in recent years, for example: in 2006, there are Lebanese - Hezbollah War, Somalia war and Cubicle... John Galliano was influenced by all these to create the collection. It shows that, the history (French Revolution) and current affairs influenced fashion a lot.

Gaucho bags

Dior Gaucho is the most famous style of Christian Dior bags in recent years after the success of “Saddle” and “Detective”.

John Galliano was inspired by the nomadic race "Gaucho" he seen during his Argentina trip. He offen uses leathers and washed denim to carry out a uninhibited style. The colors match wildly too.

Mono-chromatic scheme - make use of numerous shades of the same hue(brown).

Analogous colors - red and brown are adjacent to each other on the color wheel.

Analogic and Complimentary Color Scheme - This scheme uses the analogic colors scheme [red+brown] and includes the complimentary color [red+blue].

2006 Ready to wear

2006 SS
Hems of large bubbly organza blouses are dyed with degraded pinks - nude to fuchsia or nude to orange.

2006 FW
Black and high value analogous colors - metel rock & wild.

2007 Ready to wear

2007 SS
Low value earth tone & achromatic colors- pale & calm

2007 FW
Mixing use of primary, secondary and tertiary colors.

History of Christian Dior

Christian Dior was born in Normandy, France in 1905, and channeled his love for art by opening an art gallery.

In 1938, he entered the fashion world as a designer for Robert Piquet. After serving in World War II, Dior returned to Paris and had a very successful collaboration with Pierre Balmain at Lucien Lelong.

Dior described himself as a silent, slow Norman, shy and reticent by nature, strongly attached to his friends. He loved good food, architecture, fortune telling as well as beautiful clothes. He dreamt of flower - like women with rounded shoulders, feminine busts, tiny waists and enormous spreading skirts.

With the financial help of Marcel Boussac, Dior was able to open his own fashion house in 1946. In the spring if 1947, he presented the 1st New Look collection. He refined and expanded his talent continually. In 1952, he began to loosen the waist, freed it even more with the H-line in 1954, the A-line and Y-line in 1955. His opulent designs made him successful in the post-war era, and his brand quickly expanded into furs, perfumes and accessories.

The New Look



Y Line dress - Autumn/ winter 1955-56

The new "H" Line - collection 1954

In 1957, Dior suddenly died and Yves Saint Laurent became the head designer. Since Saint Laurent, other well-known designers at this fashion house include Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, and John Galliano.



John Galliano

Reference: http://www.designmuseum.org/design/christian-dior

2008 Fall Haute Couture

John Galliano called this collection "fresh couture" , which is restrained and refined.

Mostly framed in black and white, with tints of gray, caramel, Parma violet, mint, and chartreuse to follow. (Style.com)

A number of hues were used, they look harmony as they are of the same value - all of them are low value light colors.

2008 SS

2008 SS Ready to wear

This season, high chroma colors are widely used. Models on runway look vivid and very shiny.

2008 SS Haute Couture

2008 SS Handbags and accessories

For handbags, pink is Dior's favourite color in recent years to create a feminine image.
This year, we can see different pinks and even shocking pink and sharp red. (e.g.: Dior's latest accessories collection: Dior 61) It's a change in the way that Christian Dior uses color.

In addition, we can see some purple items too, like this Amethyst Dior Charming Shopping Bag:

The colors of the outer fabric and the leather trimmings are of the same hue, but in different values. The magenta lining is so sharp that it jumps out visually and gives energy to the bag.

In fact, the color of the lining is analogous with the outer fabric. That's why they match each others