Grossé + Bijoux Christian Dior

The jewellery firm Suddeutsche Gold und Haar-Bijourterie, founded in 1907 by Heinrich Henkel and Florentin Grosse, experienced after World War I its first successes with costume jewellery made of bronze, aluminium, wood, bakelite and galalite. In the mid 1920s their first business contacts to the US were established. A decade later they were working together with the fashion labels Lanvin and Schiaparelli in Paris as well as with Harrods in London and Saks in New York. The company was awarded the ´diplome d´honneur´ for their designs in 1937 at the ´Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne´ in Paris. In 1955 Henkel & Grosse started its cooperation with Christian Dior (1905-57) in Paris and were licensed as the sole producers and distributors of Dior jewellery. In connection with its own designs, however, the company always maintained its independence. As of the 1960s they expanded their portfolio to include ´Grosse Bijoux´, ´Grosse Sterling´ and ´Grosse Gold´, with fashion always dictating the design. Brooches, necklaces and ear clips in colourful, fanciful blossom forms to match the petticoat dresses of the time were produced in sets in various price classes for a wide customer base. The enterprise, led by four generations of the Grosse family, had at its zenith over 600 employees and a worldwide distribution. Their products were designed and produced in Pforzheim and in the US, later also in Asia. The Dior and Grosse trademark, which every piece carries, stands for modern design and technical innovation. In 2006 the family withdrew from the business and the firm became part of the Dior group.