Marc Bohan for Christian Dior sketches

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: SC.374

Scope and Contents

This collection contains 83 sketches of women's daytime, evening and outer wear looks designed by Marc Bohan for Christian Dior. Sketches are done in watercolor, guoache and pencil on Dior letterhead paper--most are original, some are painted on top of a photocopied base drawing. Nearly all have fabric swatches attached, and some of these feature beading, sequins or embroidery; there are also two large-scale real mink fur swatches, and one piece of correspondence. No dates appear on the sketches themselves, so the dates are inferred from information provided by the seller.

Dates

Creation: 1965-1967

Creator

Bohan, Marc (1926-2023) (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Access is open to researchers by appointment at the Fashion Institute of Technology Library, Department of Special Collections and FIT Archive. If you wish to schedule an appointment to view this material or have any questions, visit our website.

Conditions Governing Use

The Department of Special Collections and FIT Archive does not own copyright for all material held in its physical custody. It is the researcher's obligation to abide by and satisfy copyright law (http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#108) when copying or using materials (including digital materials) found in or made available from the department. When possible, the department will inform a researcher about the copyright status of material, the researcher's obligations with regard to such material, and, wherever possible, the owner or owners of the copyrights. Any and all reproduction of originals is at the archivist's discretion.

Biographical / Historical

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Marc Bohan was born in Paris on August 22,1926. His mother, a milliner, encouraged Bohan to go into fashion. Bohan's first design position came in 1945, when he began working as a design assistant at Robert Piguet. Throughout the late 1940s and 1950s, Bohan worked at a both Molyneux (1949-1954) and Patou (1954-1958). After leaving Patou, Bohan attempted to open his own house. Although notices of his first show were favorable, the venture failed due to lack of financial backing. The same year, Bohan began working for Christian Dior, designing their London line of suits. At the age of 35, Bohan replaced Yves Saint Laurent as Christian Dior's Chief Designer in 1960. Dior thrived under Bohan's direction and the company acquired a new generation of customers while maintaining its original, elegant base. Bohan left Dior in 1989 and from 1990 to 1992, he worked as fashion director for Norman Hartnell in London; after this he moved back to France where he resided until his death in 2023.

Full Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (One half-bankers box)

Full Extent

86 items : Design sketches, most with swatches attached ; 8.5" x 11"

Language of Materials

English

French

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is a single series housed in five folders.

Custodial History

According to the seller Glenn Horowitz, this collection of sketches was from a single client of the house of Dior, created for her review/selection during her debutante season of 1966. The client isn't specified but a single piece of hand-written correspondence from the vendeuse at Dior is addressed to "Miss Coleman."