Alla Ilchun (10 December 1926 – 6 March 1989) was a Chinese-born Kazakh-Russian fashion model who lived in France. A muse for Christian Dior, who referred to her as "his personal talisman", she was the first prominent Asian woman to model European fashions.
Alla Ilchun | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1926 |
| Died | 8 March 1989 |
| Occupation | model |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Kuantkhan (Zhuanhan) Ilchun Tamara Ilchun |
Biography
editIlchun was born in Harbin, China in 1926. Her father, Kuantkhan Ilchun, was a railway engineer from a wealthy family in Kazakhstan.[1] Her mother, Tamara, was a Russian opera singer and the daughter of a White Army officer.[1][2][3] Due to political unrest in Harbin, with the city passing between the Chinese, Japanese, the Ilchun family fled to France.[1] Her father was caught and sent to the Tokyo.
As a teenager, Ilchun worked as a dishwasher in a Parisian restaurant.[1][4] During World War II, she joined the French Resistance.[1]
Ilchun attended a model casting in Paris, as a favor to a friend, and was chosen by Christian Dior to work for the fashion house.[1] She became a very successful model, and a muse for Dior, who referred to her as "his personal talisman".[5][6] She was the first Asian model in the European fashion world.[3]
While working as a model, she met the photographer Mike de Dülmen. The two married and had one children.[1]
After Dior's death, Ilchun worked closely with Yves Saint Laurent.
Legacy
editIn 2020, a documentary film titled Alla – Dior’s Oriental Pearl was released by Berlin Irishev, president of AKF.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "The Amazing Story of Alla Ilchun, the Kazakh Muse of Christian Dior". Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ^ Everyday, Vintage (July 13, 2021). "Alla Ilchun: The Kazakh Muse of Christian Dior".
- ^ a b c "Dior's Pearl: A beauty from China with Kazakh Roots Alla IlchunInformation Portal DimashNews". Information Portal DimashNews. September 11, 2020.
- ^ "The Story of a Kitchen Maid That Became the Favorite Model of Christian Dior". Bright Side — Inspiration. Creativity. Wonder. August 29, 2020.
- ^ "Alla Ilchun, Kazakh muse of Christian Dior". kazakhworld.com.
- ^ "Biography". Alla Ilchun. 2 October 2021.
Berlin Irishev, Enigme Of Alla - The Muse Of Dior, Paris, 2021 Berlin Irishev, Alla - A Pearl Of The Orient At Dior, Pekin, 2022 Berlin Irishev, Alla - Iconic New Look Of Dior, New York, (expect in December)2023