From the debut of his first collection in 1947 until his premature death a decade later, Christian Dior produced garments that served as antidotes to the austere fashions of World War II (1939–1945), with superb construction and tailoring, luxurious fabrics, and sumptuous decorative treatments. The sister gowns Junon and Venus represent the pinnacle of Dior’s creativity. Named after the Roman goddess of marriage and fertility, Junon features glittering sequin embroidery on curved skirt flounces, meant to evoke the feathers of the goddess’s favorite bird, the peacock. With its luminescent, seashell-like skirt flounces, Venus honors the Roman goddess of love, who emerged fully formed from the sea. San Francisco–based luxury department store I. Magnin Company imported these two gowns for in-store presentations along the West Coast, before donating them to the Museums.