Alexandra Palmer

Why on earth does my local BC library have a copy of an exhibition catalogue from the Royal Ontario Museum about French couture master, Christian Dior? Who knows, but I am super glad that they do!!! Dior is one of my all time favourite designers, and one of my favourite fashion houses, and I am glad that the ROM curated what was presumably an excellent exhibition on the designer and produced a world-class catalogue to accompany it. Alexandra Palmer’s exposition on the history of the House of Dior, his place in the timeline of French fashion and couture, and on his influence on the fashion adjacent fields was bar none one of the best I have ever read. Her language was perfectly suited to a general audience, but contained the lovely linguistic flourishes dictated by any legitimate discussion of French couture - albeit with a reasonable amount of explanation for the fashion initiates, which was still much appreciated by those of us who still struggle with our (lack of) French. Taking us through all of the details behind the scenes of couture, she traces her way through the continual rising and dropping of hemlines, into the linings, and across the (distribution) world through an exploration grounded in the plethora of Christian Dior pieces in the ROM’s collection. Paired with a stunning range of even more carefully curated images of the costumes, original sketches, contemporary photographs, reimagined patterns, and more, we are treated to a moody but beautifully detailed story that showcases Christian Dior’s physical legacy at its best. Truely a behind the scenes glimpse, I don’t know if anyone besides a museum of calibre (such as this) or Dior Héritage themselves could have pulled off such a detailed and robust publication.… (meer)

While Palmer's prose is a touch on the dry side, this book offers an in depth - but not overly detailed - view of the Dior phenomenon. The thesis argues that the house of Dior changed the face of modern fashion and set an example in both style and couture business for future fashion houses, and due to the carefully chosen examples makes itself a winning case. The focus is more on the economic aspects of the global Dior enterprise, and so serves to provide a balance to the many other books which focus solely on Dior's style and artistry. Maybe not a book for the light-hearted fashion enthusiast, but definitely a useful resource for fashion historians.… (meer)

This is a small volume about the fashion designer that set the style for the 1950’s. After the harsh styles of the 1940’s, his New Look featured lush fabrics, ruffles, folds, more material and a look of femininity that captured the mood of optimism that prevailed after World War II. He was an innovator in fashion and business as he created global licensing agreements, sold many different products from perfume to stockings.

This book gives a brief look at his life, but it is mostly pictures of his fabulous creations which was fine by me. My only complaint is that I wish more of the pictures had been in color. Approximately one third are in color leaving two-thirds up to the reader to guess at colors.

Upon his death in 1957 the future of the House of Dior was up in the air. Among the list of contenders to take over were names such as Pierre Cardin. Guy Laroche and Givenchy. It was a surprise when 21 year old Yves Saint Laurent was chosen, but even though young he had been with Dior since 1953. Saint Laurent went on to present six collections for the House of Dior before he left to strike out on his own. The House of Dior is still today a major name in the fashion industry.… (meer)