While legendary designer Christian Dior needs no introduction, few have probably heard of his younger sister, Catherine. “Caro” as she was nicknamed was 12 years younger than him (the two were extremely close) and she was an extraordinary woman in her own right. She worked for the French Resistance during WWII and after she was arrested, she was sent to a German concentration camp for women, which she miraculously survived. She would later become one of the first women to acquire a license to sell flowers at Paris’s Les Halles market where she traded blooms such as lily of the valley and roses from Grasse, all native to the region where she and her brother grew up. She also famously became the inspiration behind Dior’s first and most iconic fragrance—Miss Dior (that featured notes of both flowers).
And today Catherine Dior’s name has again marked the history of the legendary French Maison as the company launches its new handbag: Dior Caro.
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Crafted in Italy from soft calfskin, the bag required a whopping 18,000 stitches to recreate the company’s cannage motif that first caught the eye of Monsieur Dior in February 1947 when he brought in a few gilded chairs with canned seats for the rooms where he received guests for his first runway show.
The Caro flap bag also features the brand’s “CD” logo with a twist clasp while Dior’s address “30 Montaigne” is embossed on the back. A removable chain-link strap complements the handbag that comes in two sizes and multiple shades such as mint green, rose, and black.
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The bag made its runway debut back in July at Dior’s Cruise 2021 collection in Puglia when a model carried the small version of it in a beautiful tie-dye print.
Dior Caro is now available for purchase on dior.com. Pricing starts at $3,800.
