Share this
Miss Dior - A story of Courage and Couture
by Justine Picardie
Published by Faber (Imprint of Allen and Unwin)
ISBN 978057135652
This is a must read, even if you are not interested in the world of fasion, just for the story of courage and resilience.
Justine Picardie, a former editor-in-chief of the UK Harpers Bazaar is eminently suited to have researched and authored this fascinating, intriguing and compelling story of the life of Catherine Dior, her brother Christian Dior and her compatriots in the French Resistance.
It was a thrilling moment when I received this book to review. I have always been a fan of the house of Christian Dior and as an older teen often dressed in the famous Dior colours of grey and white. So when this book arrived thoughts turned purely to the fashion and perfume labels.
However, there was so much more to come. Sure, the publicity says it's a book of courage and couture, but there is far more to this book of 438 pages. It is a magnificent production, a beautifully bound hard cover, printed on quality sturdy paper to project the many archival photographs and images of original drawings to a high standard. Both the dust jacket and the hard cover are beautifully designed. The font of the hard cover features the iconic Christian Dior gown designed for the New Look after WWII.
The story takes us on a journey from the Dior children living with their parents and siblings on the edge of France in Granville, Normandy where their mother grew beautiful roses amongst the rocky outcrops. The love of these roses were to form a major part of Catherine and Christian's lives. However, as is so often the case, life took many twists and turns for this once privileged family.
The Occupation of France and Catherine's relationship with Hervé de Charbonneries through which she joined the French Resistance took her down a path to being captured by the Gestapo. Catherine endured horrendous torture and deportation to Ravensbruk concentation camp in Germany which had been specifically set up for women prisoners.
She was deported with many other French Resistance fighters who formed a bond and continued their resistance as much as they could when forced to make munitions. The section on Catherine's time in the concentration camp is quite long, but it does give one a more detailed sense of what people endured and their resilience. There are a few drawings reproduced and photos from this time in these chapters. When Catherine returned to France, she was barely recognisable to Christian, yet she remained a vision of femininity.
Catherine retreated into anonymity and resumed to dedicate her life to tending the roses which led to the creation of the Miss Dior perfume together with other flowers.
The history of Dior fashion is fascinating. The rise of the designer and his sheer talent and genius is told alongside his contemporaries such as Balmain, Cardin, Sciapparelli, Chanel. Without wanting to give too much of the story, it is interesting to read of Christian Dior's faith in clairvoyance.
Catherine and her brother, Christian clearly had a close relationship, despite their great age differences. The different layers of the story, often written in the homes of the Dior family, in Normandy, Provence and Paris make compelling reading. The author clearly has undertaken in-depth research over a long period of time and her style of writing is a pleasure to read.
This is independent review, I am not paid by the publishers, so.If you Liked this review, Buy me a coffee
Join our free newsletter to find out when new books are reviewed.
