4to. pp. 192. profusely illustrated. bds. London: V & A Publishing, 2019.
Capturing the highlights of a major V&A exhibition, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, this stunning volume celebrates the House of Dior from its foundation in 1947 to the present day. Haute-couture gowns by Christian Dior and the illustrious creative directors who followed him—Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons, and Maria Grazia Chiuri—are showcased here, atmospherically photographed by Laziz Hamani. Archival material—including design sketches by Christian Dior—and press and fashion photography provide colorful context, amplified by introductory texts to each section by V&A Fashion Curator Oriole Cullen. An opening chapter by Cullen looks at Dior’s creative collaborations with influential British manufacturers, and his most notable British clients, from Princess Margaret to author Nancy Mitford and ballet dancer Margot Fonteyn. It also revisits Dior’s spectacular fashion shows staged in England’s most luxurious stately homes, including at Blenheim Palace in 1954. Photography by Laziz
Hamani.