THE HOUSE OF DIOR | ODILE ON MODELLING FOR DIOR

Odile was a house model at Dior from 1953 until 1958, Odile’s career began when she fortuitously stepped into a lift with Monsieur Dior. Asking her what she was doing, Odile replied, “I work for (the designer) André Levasseur”, to which Dior countered, “Not any more, you work for me now”. Odile’s classic figure meant that more than twenty outfits in each collection were made just for her and she travelled with several of the collections to New York, South Africa and England and was one of seven mannequins sent to Australia with Dior’s final collections in 1957.
During the 1950s house mannequins were integral to the running of a couture house, assisting in the development and sale of each garment. Every design in a collection was fitted on the girl chosen to model it in a process that took up to six weeks.
Dior recognised the critical role mannequins played in successfully conveying his designs and played an active role in their selection, stating, ‘they are the life of my dresses and I want my dresses to be happy’. He also aimed for a variety of ages, personalities and figures so that clients could envisage themselves in the dress.
Each season, his house mannequins presented upwards of 150 dresses in salon shows of close to two hours’ duration that were repeated multiple times over successive days for the press, buyers and clients. They also modelled the collection during private appointments for individual clients.
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[@300books]

I like how she acknowledged the importance of the seamstresses who sew, but are never seen. It was sweet of her to recognize them and their talents.

[@CatherinesChronicles_]

300books what make it couture

[@dearmaria4654]

Yes very gracious of her, they are indeed amazing talents to be able to make the designs come alive

[@jenford7078]

Dior 's attitude about using models to relate to his client on how they would look in his dresses is something the fashion world really MUST begin to embrace again.

[@redrumax]

no one was obese then, it was about shape. now it would look obscene

[@michaelreilly3513]

@@redrumax Your comment is idiotic and does not relate to Jen's comment at all.

[@redrumax]

@@michaelreilly3513 your comment is idiotic as mine is on point

[@michaelreilly3513]

@@redrumax You are WRONG. The OG poster talked of using models that relate to their customer, Haute Couture's customers are always slim and wealthy but some are conservative, some are sultry, some are sophisticated. Your phobia about weight has nothing to do with the OG's comment. These days models are so boring and much alike. You're welcome for the education, next time be pleased that someone took time to educate you instead of being defensive and happy to stay in ignorance.

[@lilMissF0F0]

redrumax there are models that are old with good body shapes tho, Lanvin shot an editorial with old models.

[@juliehoffman6292]

Class never goes out of style

[@carlvlaeminck2171]

Odile still looks so elegant and sophisticated.

[@davidanderson8704]

What an exquisite and regal woman, she understands and appreciates all the craftsmanship of that time and that's what made it so special not the celebrity not the hype, her experience and age just makes her even more beautiful! Yay to women like her, we need to appreciate this generation of women and listen to all of their stories now more than ever, thank you so much for posting this!

[@valvacious2793]

What a lovely soul. She acknowledges everyone as Fabulous, not just herself!

[@webwhisper2701]

A genuine, lovely lady with poise and elegance. The celebrities of today could learn much from this woman.

[@SASA-il3wt]

Class, beauty, manners and style.

[@angellesupastar2904]

Excellent

[@coolrunnings3]

And modesty!

[@SASA-il3wt]

@@coolrunnings3 100%

[@angeladallimore8079]

A Real Woman

[@chaton20]

Can we please talk about that amazing fireplace behind her? Want!

[@BIGTODD250]

OMG!!!!! I kept looking at it also!!!

[@banibatbout]

And pile of books

[@BIGTODD250]

Mid-century modern at its finest.

[@carforumwanker]

@@BIGTODD250 The whole house would "blow you away" :-)

[@greeneyedwarlock882]

CAN YOU EVEN TRY TO IMAGINE how fabulous it must've been to be one of Dior's ORIGINAL models and to have been chosen by the man himself?! To wear eternally EXQUISITE creations designed by the Master and to be able to showcase his stunning clothes AND Yves Saint Laurents, too?!?! HEAVEN! I'm SO jealous I'm glowing green!!!

[@SFAG12]

Having a recorded interview with one of the witnesses of that era... Priceless!!!

[@bellarosa009]

She’s still very classic and beautiful. Wonderful to see.

[@elisabethm9655]

She should return to the runway - she’s still, as she says - superb!

[@Stanzishouse]

I loved this! What a generous and humble soul - mentioning and lifting up the importance of everyone! 💚✨

[@pattyfarghaly1821]

Stunning...lovely inside and out. I miss classy days and people and times.

[@arlinejernigan]

What a beautiful person!!!

[@mwills464]

She’s still a very beautiful woman. Elegant and classy.

[@wvanderwahl]

There is no question about that- I thought she was exquisite- a throw back to another era.

[@artieoms]

C'est magnifique. Odile's every word and memory made it feel like only yesterday, the importance to pay homage is because of incredible people and stories like this. Love 🖤

[@crimsonandclover1413]

I got sad when the video ended. I could listen to her talk all day

[@Saljarba87]

May he rest in peace.. saw so many documentaries about him, people had only the nicest things to say about him

[@normasarno27]

An amazing story from sn amazing woman! Thank you Odile!!!!

[@marycahill546]

How nice to hear that the boss was a gentleman and everyone loved him.

[@ta3970]

Dior will always be my favorite designer.

[@Carducci1959]

An incredibly charming and stylish lady!

[@blackathena1565]

I love her fascination with the atalier! I too find the with of the petits mains extremely interesting and I wish we knew more about them.

[@michaeljoyce9732]

Such elegance and it is NATURAL to her. Bless her richly !!Carmel

[@silviaterracciano4513]

Very nice interview of historic value on fashion.

[@TheReturnOfStephan1]

This is a wonderful video! After seeing Madame Odile, I can't see myself with any other kind of woman. Her elegance, charm, grace, dignity, sensuality is, to me, a rarity in today's world, and I must find as much of it as I can. For me, the male version is someone like Yul Brynner.

[@quackslikeaduck]

TheReturnofStephan1 - From what I've read about him, Yul Brynner was quite self-centered (unlike Odile). I vote for David Niven: attractive, witty, urbane, a perfect example of the English gentleman.

[@MTMF.london]

@@TheReturnOfStephan1 I am sure Princess Margaret was not an innocent bystander.

[@carolking6355]

What a delightful lady.

[@Auro416]

Wow... 🥰🙏🏻 such a beautiful memorie

[@mariaperetto34]

Very charming lady of a time that models were pretty and examples of elegance.

[@fortysomethingbadgirls2173]

Wonderful lady. Thank you for sharing.

[@jamilgotcher5456]

Thank you for uploading this interview, I enjoyed it very much. I was house model for Dior Haute Couture for one season when Gianfranco Ferre designed for Dior Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 1990. I've always known it was very special to be selected for the fittings and I also walked the runway for Jean Louis Scherrer Haute Couture, Lecoanet Hemant Haute Couture and Torrente Haute Couture. I was scouted by a Tokyo agency after walking the runway for Jean-Louis Scherrer Haute Couture show and it lead to a very lucrative contract. It's very respected to have modeled in Paris and I'm very grateful I did take up the opportunity to model in Paris but I could not continue to go back to Paris even though my Paris agency wanted me to move there because I was married and a mother and my child was about to enter school so I stopped traveling so much. Another Paris memory was posing for a photo with Bernard Arnault, while I was modeling Dior in front of a tower of champagne, my agent said it was for WWD Paris and to announce the acquisition of Dior by Arnault.

[@johnblunt1834]

How can anyone make 'charm' look this easy...... A lovely woman.

[@tanjanovicic2926]

Divan prilog.To se zvala vrhunska moda.

[@dearmaria4654]

They're all so beautiful and elegant.

[@pinkpyrex4962]

Beautiful!!!!!!

[@TheWillZimmermann]

There’s nothing like that beautiful past .

[@midnightmilkman1]

Fantastique' et Magnifique'

[@hankagerretsen9827]

Classic charm...

[@tymina1569]

Wow she has kept the same figure for the past 60 years!

[@lauraragazzi464]

What a charming lady, beautiful inside and outside.

[@morelandmi1048]

I'm speechless... She was monsieur Dior model

[@jeanmarie9888]

I could listen to her talk for hours

[@adrianaarnold578]

Happy time 👏❤️😊Dior

[@nathaliedufour3891]

Adorable !

[@IDEALEGACY59]

🌹The hats😮😮😮😢😢❤❤❤

[@snackgila]

Classic model are so classy and elegants

[@nigelprance2540]

Some beauty is created, but high cheekbones are the gift of God!

[@katerinapatiniotis5598]

😌.

[@alexandreintouch1847]

the famous Trapeze ( A line ) collection Yves Saint Laurent ( 21 years old ) that was revolutionary for it's time .... Dior dies France is lost !!! Yves rescues France !!!...It was like that at the time....anyway Dior was right when he hired him and saw the next and last grand couturier with it's own Style , Master of Elegance .....

[@rodval2322]

After seeing the original pieces done by Christian Dior you can tell that John Galliano was the last creative director who really took a lot of the original vibe of the house to create his collections, maybe Raf Simons did it a couple times too but the other two wannabe designers and Maria Grazia have done nothing but trash.

[@SFAG12]

Totally agree!!!

[@benjaminfowler84]

Galliano was tiny monster and an anti-Semitic rat!

[@francinesicard464]

Oh no! Galliano's fashion was awful. Not in the spirit of French fashion and elegance.

[@mewhy826]

agreeeeeeeee！！！Dior Couture is dead after Galliano left.

[@FaFa-hn6ul]

Bravo

[@ceaddacasarin3015]

she's incredibly attractive

[@marysmith8876]

Delightful

[@hannanfarah4676]

Loved !!!

[@BibaSenana]

That's were real cloths...great --haut couture ..elegance and chic not like nowadays. This lady is still beautiful nd elegante.

[@janwilliams6539]

Now to be a model you have to have famous parents. In the early days, any girl could dream of walking the cat walk.

[@JadeNohels]

Fantastic 💄

[@mataveparapong8585]

My mom she’s very like your people Sir🌺💕

[@Oliander1234]

I do recognize the the silver bowl which is next to her (on the table) must be bought from Mongolia. So luxury

[@carforumwanker]

Its not :-)

[@Oliander1234]

It must be

[@carforumwanker]

E Girl . Big difference . You “think “ . I “know “

[@Oliander1234]

Yeah i know. There is no difference

[@carforumwanker]

@@Oliander1234 Its Tibetan ...

[@rosascrimshaw4354]

such a lady distinguish

[@jekku4688]

Those women were so gorgeous, chic, and OH! those waistlines! **swoon!**

[@adrianaarnold578]

What her full name?

[@carforumwanker]

Birth name or current name ?

[@adrianaarnold578]

Is she still alive?

[@carforumwanker]

Very Much !

[@marvinraphaelmonfort8289]

"Not anymore" mdr

[@bobellis7988]

Errr..... if you're in your own house, why do you have a lock on your crystal cabinet??

[@carforumwanker]

You really are clueless ! Firstly to ensure any insurance terms etc .Then to ensure they are not Damaged by accident etc .They are English Drinking Glasses

[@Maggie-tl1kk]

she like blowing her own trumpet

[@Maggie-tl1kk]

full of herself

[@carforumwanker]

@@Maggie-tl1kk You cannot believe how wrong you are !! She is so humble .

[@beverlyantoniou8236]

Lovely article. Haven't we got fat.

[@frandale8130]

Beverly Antoniou have you?