Dior: A New Look a New Enterprise (1947–57)

In 1947 Christian Dior rocked the fashion world with his New Look, which dominated postwar fashion and firmly secured the name of his house in the minds of the public and the fashion industry. He drew on historical models of femininity, the unique skills of Parisian haute couture, and a myriad of suppliers to produce stunning designs that captured a mood of optimism after World War II. Dior also designed and marketed ready-made luxe lines and broke new ground by creating and controlling innovative global licensing agreements for all Dior products, from perfume to stockings, jewellery, bathing suits, and even men’s ties. Newly expanded and updated to accompany the V&A Exhibition Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, this absorbing and beautiful book examines the seminal years of Christian Dior, 1947–57, from a truly international perspective.

Alexandra Palmer is the Nora E. Vaughan Senior Curator of Costume at the Royal Ontario Museum, where she has curated numerous exhibitions including Elite Elegance: Couture Fashion in the 1950s. Her books include Couture and Commerce: the Transatlantic Fashion Trade in the 1950s, Old Clothes, New Looks: Second Hand Fashion,  and Christian Dior: History and Modernity.