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Description
Christian Dior's career, a veritable fairy tale, is set in a rich tapestry of Paris cultural life before, during, and after the war. Much of 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 Sauguet, Jean Cocteau, and Raoul Dufy.
Born at the end of an era in which luxury seemed reserved only for the happy few, Dior again revolutionized the world of fashion by introducing, in the early 1950s, "ready-to-wear" in his Dior Boutique. Until then, couturiers had worked essentially if not exclusively for the very rich and famous. With his boutique, Dior brought high fashion to the world at large. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the "New Look," New York's Metropolitan Museum mounted a major Dior retrospective in the winter of 1996-97.
Born of wealthy parents, "Tian" turned his talent for creating clothes women couldn't resist into a hugely successful business, a transition that would have disgusted his snobby forebears. Peopled with celebrities from Cocteau to Bardot, the designer's life seems at times like one long society column. He was witty, sophisticated and intelligent; Nadia May reads in the same mode. Her performance is smooth and effortless; her diction is perfect, and she glides through the plethora of French names and phrases with alacrity. As much a look at post-WWII Paris and the world of fashion as a biography, DIOR includes many notes, quotes and anecdotes, which keep the long narration from becoming ponderous. Dresses described are no substitute for visuals, but the listener does come away with a vivid portrait of one of the biggest names in haute couture. J.B.G. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine
