Final Report of Christian Dior's Color analysis (Part 3)

Illustrations

By using Christian Dior's brand color family as below , i've designed a collection for the brand.

Illustration 1.

The Dress is the focus point.

I’ve used different value of magenta at the check pattern, with grey color.. Because checks are in same hue, although the checks are very large, it won’t be too exaggerative and be more harmony.

In additional, there are two violet buttons at collar (shoulder), as to match with the magenta body color.

Illustration 2

The pullover

This is a pullover sweater, with Christian Dior’s check pattern.

The pattern
Color of it is using mono-chromatic theory - The background color of the check pattern is light pink and the lines are deeper magenta. They are in same hue, but with different value, which can create harmony of color.

The strap on wearer’s left is in lake blue green, taking a contrast with the pullover’s main color – Magenta (complementary relationship).

The Boot
Major color is black, with some purple at straps and the heel. Purple is used because it’s the analogous color of Magenta. But i only apply at very little parts on the boot as to avoid affecting the focus point of Magenta Sweater knit.

The Hat
There is a narrow strap in lake blue color to match with sweater strape.

Illustration 3

Focus point: The Dress and the boot
Magenta, White and Grey are applied on the dress. And the Boot is using shape violet and having black stripes at the sides.
Main color of this out fit is Magenta and violet. These two colors are match because they are in analogous relationship.

Accessories.

The bag
Again, two high valued analogous color is used on the bag – Yellow and green. They can both match with violet, because yellow is its complementary color and green is its split complementary color.

The watches
Is using red and dark violet, which having analogous relationship.


Illustration 4

The knit T-shirt is in cream color. This color is easy to mix and match so it’s quite common in Christian Dior’s past designs.

The Dress
Dress is in gradual change of color and colors can both match with the magenta legging. Firstly there is a little yellow at the top (analogous relationship with Magenta), then change to blue green (complementary with Magenta), and finally gray. I used gray at the dress bottom part aiming to add layer to it and to make the upper part more attractive with shaper color. It helps to emphasiz the body shape of ladies.

The scarf
Another focus point of this outfit is the scarf with Christian Dior’s signature check. Background of check is light violet and brown. Violet is used becuase it’s analogous with magenta. They are match because brown, in fact, is dark yellow, and is opposite to violet in color wheel with complementery relationship.

Illustration 5

Focus point of this outfit : the dress with contrast belt

Used layered green and gray to this style, matching with violet belt (they are split complementary relationship).

Legging is applying Dior’s cross check with dark gray.


Illustration 6

Focus point of this outfit: the long dress.
To match with other outfits, i also apply gradual color change on this style (Gray to Green). And at underneath bottom layer, This is the Dior’s signature cross check with gray as background color and lines with violet and green color (split complementory).

Accessories:

The Gloves
Is in magenta, contrast with the lake green.

The necklace and the hand bag
Both using violet as main color, matching with the outfits’ main color – lake green.

Final Report of Christian Dior's Color analysis (Part 2)

My collection

After getting the characteristic of Christian Dior color theory, I have decided a collection for Fall/ Winter 2008-2009 according to my findings.

The trend of Fall/Winter 2008-2009

Before designing, first thing to do is to find out the fashion trend. I’ve did some researches from magazines, web-site, and visiting fashion boutiques, and chosen two key trends signatures that i would like to focus on.

- Shape colors (hue with high value)





- Checks

Christian Dior’s signature - The Cross Check

Besides analyzing the fashion trend, i also decided to add some Brand's signature features into my designs. Besides the brand's color family that i mentioned above, i discovered many Dior's productions were using the "Cross check" pattern, like accessories, product packages, and even the wall of Dior Flagship store. So i think this is also representable for the brand image.

Final Report of Christian Dior's Color analysis (Part 1)

Background of Christian Dior

I have been participated a talk few months ago about BRANDS. I learned that in analyzing a brand, the first thing we should know is the Roots and Heritage of the target brand, including the history, original designer, the company culture...etc. Christian Dior got a hundred years history. His "New look" was loved by all women. His signature form of dress "H-Line", "Y-Line" and "A-Line" was still influencing new designers nowadays.

Since Christian Dior's Launch of NEW LOOK in 50's, he made BLACK color becomes fashionable and be loved. Through his hand, black also can represent strong, touch, modern image of post-war women. Christian Dior changed the social culture, made BLACK became a fashionable color at that time.

Collections

The fashion show can be the most representable of each designers' main theme in each seasons. After studying into Christian Dior's collections, i discovered some of his theory of using colors.

John Galliano loves to use more than 3 main colors in the whole collection which have complementary relationship. But, on the other hand, most time he only used one colorway in each individual outfit to avoid too fansy. Even there are two colors, they are analogous colors which are harmony matching.

In additional, designer also love to use contrast colors (like complementary colors, triad colors) for accessories/ little details to match with the outfits.

Other analysis on Christian Dior

After that, i also did some analysis of advertising, packages, interior designs of Christian Dior. Although Dior products are delicated and colorful, however, her advertising and interior designs are simple. The background color are always in deep and high value colors, esp. acromatic colors – black, white grey…The reason behind is these colors will not be too attractive, so that to emphasize the product more.

The Brand Color
To summarize all the researches I did, I found that the brand color of Christian Dior it should be as follows:

Color test for collection

Christian Dior's Brand Color

Color Family

Magenta

MAGENTA always be the main color of Christian Dior’s designs. No matter in which season, this would be a essential core color in the collection. Besides, it is also essential in other Chirsitian Dior’s production, like accessories, bags...

Christian Dior was first started at post war centary, when women’s social stardard started to increase. Therefore we can always find elements with a strong feminine feeling in Dior’s designs. Magenta is used also because of this. Moreover, the color can also match with the stylish and elegance of Christian Dior’s top target ladies.

Black

Besides magenta, BLACK is also another important color for John Galliano’s designs. This is because of the history of Dior. Since Christian Dior’s launch of NEW LOOK in 50s, he made BLACK color, which was bored and unfavorable at that time, to become fashionable and be loved by all women. That’s why BLACK color is extremely essential in every Christian Dior’s designs.

Lake Blue Green
This is always used in match with the magenta, because its the split complementary color of it.

Other colors Dior used frequently are as below

Red and Violet - a part of color family member as they are the analogous of Magenta.

Yellow Green and Deep Grayish Green - analogous of lake blue green

White - achromatic color are easy to mix and match, It’s essential for every collections, usually match with black and grey.

Interior design of Dior store

Main color - Pure White
Interior designs of Dior stores are quite clean and simple. Color mainly in pure white, but creative setting of lightings always can make a particular color becomes different saturations.

White color can emphasize colorful product
Dior use white in stores because its products are usually colorful. Pure colors can emphasize the product very much. When customer comes in, they can clearly see what are there and more easy to find what they want. If they use fancy backgrounds, product shown may be hidden.

Easy to match with different collection theme
Besides, through the previous researches on Christian Dior's product color style, we know that the theme of each seasons may have a great difference. White is easy to mix and match with the products under different themes. It may be more convenience for designers as they need not to change the visual merchandising too much due to changing of product style/ color.

Advertisments - Emphasis of color

In this series of posters, Dior was clever in using color.
They jumped out from using black/dull color as background to emphasize the product, but try to use only one hue in the whole poster, including the background, even the Dior Icon were same color as the garment.
This is the "Emphasis of color". Designer made the background reflecting light at different angles, resulting hues with different tones/ saturations. Therefore the background color(s) will not be too close with the subject, this can make audiences more focus on the product.

Advertisments - Importance of Black

Publish Post

When we look at the posters of Dior, we can see designer always use black/ use a large proportion of black in the picture to present the mood of feminine and sexy.

Complementary color scheme (Fashion collections) - Fall 2006 RTW

The Theme
Christian Dior's Fall 2006 RTW collection is inspired by French revolution in 1789-1799, mixing with Metallic and Rock and roll music.

The color family of whole collection

The main color of this collection is bloody red. This is how designer present the image of violent and trigical "Wars" in French revolution.
So how the designer present the story? First, there are very little light grayish green and white at the outfits at beginning, represent peace and pure, which act as a contrast to the violent Bloody red at the later part of the collection. (Green and Red are complementary matching).
Moreover, all these colors are applied on shiny fabrics, to present the feeling of Metallic Music.

Beginning of the collection - Light grayish Green major
Let's take an example:

- Major color: Grayish Green. To look delicately, some parts of the body fabric was made of shiny fabric, which can reflect the lights, result a different tone for the same color. Therefore, we can say this outfit is using Mono-chromatic color scheme.

- Accessories:
* the leather hand bag - It's Deep Wine-red. with a line of light brown as a foil. This is complementary match with the outfit color.
* the "cross" necklace - It's also red in color, matching due to the same theory.


Later on - Bloody red to present violence
Let's see below example:


Although the whole collection is using complementary colors, in each outfits, he used the principle of resemblance to maintain harmony matching of colors.
***major color: Deep reddish brown. John Galliano used different materials to present the same color, to made it look different. Like this outfit - the fur, the leather, the lighter knitted blouses....reflects light in different degree.

Achromatic color scheme (Product packages)- early ages

A Christian Dior produced perfume in 1955

In earlier age of Christian Dior, BLACK color placed a important role for the brand.

Like the perfume at above image in 1955, Black and White was the main colors in the package, matching with little proportion of gold (e.g. the zipper), create elegance for the product.

Because at that time, perfume is a noble thing for women, and this pattern was highly loved by England nobles. Christian Dior used it with archromatic colors to present the symbol of "luxury" of the product.

Reference: fashion.big5.enorth.com.cn/.../003515452.shtml

Triad color scheme (Fashion shows) - Spring 2008 RTW

The Theme - Englishman in New York

Entering the 60th year of Christian Dior, John Galliano presented a new collection in the celebration, as a revival of all the patterns he has amassed through his ten-year career at Dior.

The Color family of the whole collection

We can see the atmosphere of 40’s fashion in colors. Archromatic BLACK and WHITE as the main colors obviously, applied at the beginning and the end of the collections at some unisex outfits (like hats, pantsuits...) regarding to the theme- Englishman. These two colors sometimes applied in stripes, which was a popular pattern in 40’s fashion.

There are also RED-ORANGE, LIGHT GREEN and LIGHT VIOLET applied at the middle of the collections with feminine evening gowns. Red, green and violet are Triad related on color wheel. But designer tried to switch down the value of green and violet to be lighter, made them not contrast too much. Otherwise, i think the whole collection will be too fancy for this theme.

Trial Color scheme (Fashion show) - Fall 2008 RTW

Fall 2008 RTW collection - using Trial color scheme



Theme - Valley of the Dolls
John Galliano used "Valley of the Dolls" as the theme of this collection, brought fashion elements in Sixties to the designs.. Like Mary Quant's styles - shape colors, mini skirts, Twiggy's gigantic eyes make up....

The color family of whole collection
There are 3 shape main hues in this collection- Bright violet, Shinny lake blue and orange. This color combination are using Trial scheme (three colors equally spaced with each others on the color wheel)
Besides, to make the outfits more interesting and variable, designer tried to add in different minor colors to the collections, matching the major colors.

- Violet match with shape greenish yellow (complementary method)... see below example

- Violet and Yellow green dress
- Match with a Shape violet bag (that violet almost the same, but they are in different value)
- Shinny silver accessories at belt, bag handles, the heels of the high heel - adding attractiveness to the outfit.


- Lake blue match with Green, a little bit brown and yellow. (Analgous color)


- Main color : Lake blue
- Create pattern by using anaglous color scheme (Deeper Lake blue, yellow, a little bit green. )
- Accessories: For the Yellow Hand bag: even the diamonds can still match the garment's main color. - i.e.: Blue and green


-Pink match with red-orange (Also using analogous color scheme)


- Main color - Red/ Orange
- Accessories also match
* The Head Band - In pink color (i think even orange/ Violet will work as both above colors has been appear on the dress colors)
* The Hand Bag - In Violet. Again, Diamonds are the nearby colors in the color wheel - blue and red.

Analogous color scheme (Fashion collections) - Spring 09 RTW

Spring 2009 RTW Collection

Theme - The Eighties
John Galliano wants to bring the mood of this collection back to 80's, when the brand of "Christian Dior" was first developed.
So, he used Shape colors - Yellow, orange and pink as the major color. These colors are very popular in 80's , also give a vintage mood for the outfits. Although colors are bright and in high value, they are match with each others as they are analogus colors (next to each other on the color wheel ).


Mono-chromatic color scheme in each outfits
Although the whole collection is using different hue, designer applied colors on each outfits following the rules of mono-chromatic. This is also a popular form of color combanation in 80's. Using one particular color, but switch the tones, value and saturation to create varies matching colors in the garment, make it harmony with each others. Here are some e.g.s..

Main color of the whole dress: Bright Orange
Fabric pattern: little circles with deeper orange/ purple


Main color of the whole dress : Chocolate brown
Leather Belt : Leather color- same hue but lighter brown to match with the dress ; The animal skin pattern - "Zebra pattern" with dark Brown color ; To look more delicately, the belt buckle edge is made of , which is in cream color....

So the color family is composed by differnt value of Brown - create harmony but not bored.