Christian Dior: The Man who Made the World Look NewDior's career, a veritable fairy tale, is set in a rich tapestry of Paris cultural life before, during, and after the war. Much of Dior's daily inspiration emanated from the world of the intellectual and artistic elite, in which be moved with such people as Erik Satie, Francis Poulenc, Henry Sauguet, Jean Cocteau, and Raoul Dufy. Born at the end of an era in which luxury seemed reserved only for the happy few, Dior again revolutionized the world of fashion by introducing, in the early 1950s, "ready-to-wear" in his Dior Boutique. Until then, couturiers had worked essentially if not exclusively for the very rich and famous. With his boutique, Dior brought high fashion to the world at large. Marie-France Pochna guides us skillfully through the constellation of Paris high-fashion luminaries: Lanvin, Balenciaga, Lelong, Hermes, Givenchy, and Jacques Fath. Rivalries and gossip might have divided the fiefdoms, but absolute perfection in design and high standards of fashion united the Paris "family" of haute couture. From 1947, when the House of Dior was established on Avenue Montaigne near the Champs Elysees and burst upon the scene following its first collection, we follow the Duchess of Windsor, Olivia de Havilland, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Ingrid Bergman, and many more society celebrities and film stars - all Dior clients - to their fitting rooms. |
Contents
Les Enfants terribles Les Parents terribles | 17 |
Passage to Freedom | 31 |
The Shattered Mirror | 46 |
War Peace and Revelation | 67 |
Lucky Star | 85 |
The Stage Door | 99 |
Happy Days | 131 |
The Reluctant Hero | 148 |
The American Love Affair | 175 |
A Wealth of Treasures | 205 |
Smiling Gowns | 226 |
Racing for Time | 249 |
Dressing the Angels | 274 |
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Common terms and phrases
30 Avenue Montaigne American André artistic Avenue Montaigne Balenciaga ball Balmain beautiful Bettina Ballard boutique Brunhoff Callian Carmel Snow Chanel childhood Christian Bérard Christian Dior clients Colle collection costumes couture house creative decor Denise Tual designer Dior's door dreamed dress elegant everything fabric face fashion Fath Fayol felt flowers France Francis Poulenc French friends garden Georges Geffroy gowns Granville hand haute couture head Henri Sauguet House of Dior idea Jacques Bonjean Jacques Rouët Jean Cocteau knew launched living Look Lucien Lelong Madame Dior managed Marcel Boussac Maurice Dior Maurice Sachs Max Jacob Mitzah never once outfits Paris Parisian Perrotino Photograph Pierre Piguet Raymonde Zehnacker René Gruau salons sketches skirt star style success Suzanne Luling talent taste things took turn Vogue wanted wear wife woman women workrooms wrote York young Zehnacker