Christian Dior: Destiny: The Authorized Biography

by Marie-France Pochna

Overview

The House of Dior’s official biography reveals the secretive and surprising man who revolutionized fashion, with new insight on his spirituality and relationships and a contemporary perspective on his legacy.


In 1947, when Christian Dior’s model spun her wasp-waisted skirt and tipped a hat over one eye, the iconic designer became an instant celebrity. His groundbreaking New Look was quintessentially Parisian—the perfect combi­nation of fanciful and elegant that glorified the female form and seduced his international clientele.

Yet it was by mere chance that Dior—hapless in the face of personal and professional tragedy—met a friendly priest who helped him to rebuild his faith and to find the strength to chart his glorious destiny. He went on to upend the downtrodden postwar era with his joie de vivre and his pursuit of a single goal: to make women “not only more beautiful, but happier” through the proportions of his marvelous designs and a color palette that reflected the Parisian sky. Today, the legacy of this witty yet staunchly private man shines on as his intuitive creativity continues to inspire the House of Dior’s designers to reinvent the woman of tomorrow.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9782081514010
Publisher:	Rizzoli
Publication date:	10/26/2021
Pages:	496
Sales rank:	637,615
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.70(h) x 2.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Marie-France Pochna is an expert on fashion and trends in the luxury market, and a professor and TV producer. She has published biographies on the House of Dior’s founder Mr. Boussac, Gianni Agnelli, and Nina Ricci and is the recognized authority on Dior.

Table of Contents

Preface 9

1 Granville 15

2 Enfants Terribles, Parents Terribles 39

3 The Pergola Affair 59

4 The Shattered Mirror 83

5 A Family Adrift 101

6 Enlightenment 123

7 All for One and One for All 143

8 My Sister, My Hero 155

9 A Lucky Star 181

10 The Stage Door 201

11 The Merchant of Happiness 241

12 A Golden Era 263

13 American Honeymoon 301

14 The Rules of the Game 337

15 The Dresses Are Happy 361

16 The Calling 395

17 The Last Days of Christian Dior 439

18 A Memory of Catherine Dior 445

19 Dressing the Angels 451

Epilogue: The Couturier of Dreams 463

The Dior Family Tree 466

Acknowledgments 469

References 476

Index 486