“Remarkable” —Hamish Bowles, Vogue The overdue restoration of Catherine Dior's extraordinary life, from her brother's muse to Holocaust survivor When the French designer Christian Dior presented his first collection in Paris in 1947, he changed fashion forever. Dior’s “New Look” created a striking, romantic vision of femininity, luxury, and grace, making him—and his last name—famous overnight. One woman informed Dior’s vision more than any other: his sister, Catherine, a Resistance fighter, concentration camp survivor, and cultivator of rose gardens who inspired Dior’s most beloved fragrance, Miss Dior. Yet the story of Catherine’s remarkable life—so different from her famous brother’s—has never been told, until now. Drawing on the Dior archives and extensive research, Justine Picardie’s Miss Dior is the long-overdue restoration of Catherine Dior’s life. The siblings’ stories are profoundly intertwined: in Occupied France, as Christian honed his couture skills, Catherine dedicated herself to the Resistance, ultimately being captured by the Gestapo and sent to Ravensbruck, the only Nazi camp solely for women. Seeking to trace Catherine’s story as well as her influence on her brother, Picardie traveled to the significant places of Catherine’s life, including Les Rhumbs, the Dior family villa with its magnificent gardens; the House of Dior in Paris; and La Colle Noire, Christian’s chateâu that he bequeathed to his sister. Inventive and captivating, and shaped by Picardie’s own journey, Miss Dior examines the legacy of Christian Dior, the secrets of postwar France, and the unbreakable bond between two remarkable siblings. Most important, it shines overdue recognition on a previously overlooked life, one that epitomized courage and also embodied the astonishing capacity of the human spirit to remain undimmed, even in the darkest circumstances. Includes Black-and-White Illustrations

Christian Dior, the legendary French fashion designer, caused a worldwide sensation in 1947, in a Paris still groping to recover from the devastations of wartime occupation. Reintroducing the flowing, ankle-length skirt, Dior gave women back their long-lost sense of freedom, femininity, and joie de vivre. Dior's collection, with its pinched waist and generous folds of fabric, was dubbed the 'New Look' by the press, and Dior himself was crowned 'The King of Fashion'. Dior immediately re-established Paris as the centre of the fashion world and for the next thirty years the House of Dior, with its subdued and refined pearl-grey velvet-covered walls, played host to the aristocracy and international stars of stage and film. The Duchess of Windsor, Olivia de Havilland, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, and Ingrid Bergman were amongst those who graced its corridors. Dior's daily inspiration emanated from the world of the intellectual and artistic elite, in which he moved with such people as Erik Satie, Francis Poulenc, Henry Suguet, Jean Cocteau, and Raoul Dufy. With elegance, precision, and impeccable research, Marie-France Pochna recreates this one-of-a-kind world of glamour and luxury and situates Dior's fairy-tale career in the rich tapestry of Paris cultural life.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan comes an unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice. England, 1939: The Penrose sisters couldn't be more different. Skye is a daring and brash pilot, and Liberty the one to defy her at every turn. Even if women aren't allowed in the Royal Air Force, Skye is determined to help the war effort. She's thrilled when it reunites her with her childhood soulmate, Nicholas. She's less thrilled to learn Nicholas is now engaged to an enigmatic Frenchwoman named Margaux Jourdan. Paris, 1947: Designer Christian Dior unveils his glamorous first collection to a world weary of war and grief. He names his debut fragrance Miss Dior in tribute to his beloved sister Catherine, who forged a friendship with Skye and Margaux through her work with the French Resistance. Present Day: Fashion conservator Kat Jourdan discovers a priceless collection of Dior gowns in her grandmother's vacant cottage. As she delves into the mystery of their origin, Kat begins to doubt everything she thought she knew about her beloved grandmother.

"This volume showcases the perfumes of Christian Dior against the backdrop of his life--the Belle Epoque of his youth, the "Roaring Twenties" of his young adulthood and the postwar period of his success as a fashion designer and perfumer. From 1946, before his first collection had even been debuted, Dior was interested in perfume, launching the iconic Miss Dior fragrance (along with the perfumer Paul Vacher) in 1947, and later gaining great success with fragrances such as Diorissimo, Eau Sauvage, Poison and J'Adore." -- From Amazon.

A timely celebration of one of the world’s greatest couture houses, which combines Christian Dior’s classics with the newest creations, published to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Christian Dior’s first collection. In this lavish collection Jérôme Gautier collects the outstanding elements of Dior’s style for every generation since 1947, pairing classic and contemporary photographs together with some exquisite rarities. Christian Dior’s “New Look” amazed the world as it emerged after wartime austerity, and reset the boundaries of modern elegance. Dior’s search for the perfect line and the ideal silhouette continues with couturiers of the first rank: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri have all made their distinctive contribution. In these pages, the most beautiful fashion plates from Dior’s own time sit beside examples of the house’s creations from each decade. This beautiful volume honors and celebrates Dior past and present with undisputed elegance and panache.

An exquisite exploration of the relationship between Christian Dior and perfumes, celebrating sixty-five years of inspiration, innovation, and style.

Celebrating Dior's floral inspirations in fashion and perfume, this unique volume features a portfolio of rose portraits by acclaimed fashion photographer Nick Knight. For Christian Dior, perfume was "a door opening into a hidden world." His first, Miss Dior, inspired by the lush gardens of his childhood home in Normandy, forged an inextricable link between his fashion and fragrance creations. Other scents were inspired by evenings in southern France, lit with fireflies and scented with jasmine. The rose bowers of his family home in Granville; his old mill country house; and the Château de la Colle Noire near Grasse--where jasmine, tuberose, and May roses reign supreme and are still cultivated--inspired Dior's most memorable creations. Flowers were also at the heart of Dior's fashion, from the women-flowers that inspired the late 1940s New Look to the swishing, blossom-like ball gowns embroidered with lavish floral motifs. They have inspired all of the designers who followed him at the House of Dior, from Yves Saint Laurent to John Galliano, and Raf Simons to Maria Grazia Chiuri. This extraordinary volume blooms with color and inspiration, and includes rose portraits by Nick Knight, previously unpublished archival documents, exquisite details of embroidery and fabrics, perfumes, fashion sketches, and sublime fashion photographs.