DIOR IN BLOOM ~ NEW BOOK
“After woman, flowers are the most lovely thing god has given the world” – Christian Dior
‘Dior in Bloom’ is a new book published by Editions Flammarion is a perfect Holiday Gift.
Whether reminiscences of a magical childhood, stars of the runway, or queens of fragrance, flowers and gardens have always made the house of Dior’s heart beat.
Dedicated entirely to the passionate love of flowers at Dior and enlightened by expert, inspired writers, the new book, ‘Dior in Bloom’ is a richly illustrated invitation to discover the affinities of Christian Dior and his heirs for the world of flowers.
As an introduction to ignite the senses, “in dialogue with nature” brings to light the testimonies of the five artistic directors of the house. It is followed by five chapters which titles speak for themselves: “sublime beauty, nick knight’s roses”, “Dior and the symbolism of flowers, eight storied blossoms” written by Alain Stella, “Christian Dior’s gardens real and imagined” written by Naomi A. Sachs, “a world of inspirations” by Jérôme Hanover, ‘Dior in Bloom’ by Justine Picardie. Lastly, as a conclusion, “An extraordinary herbarium by Dior” gathers the most iconic Dior perfumes along with the ones from the maison Christian Dior collection, all of them created by François Demachy.
THE LEGACY OF LOVING FLOWERS
“Flowers, flowers, flowers!” was the answer that sprang forth from François Demachy, Dior perfumer-creator, when he was asked to define the quintessential element of the house fragrances. Born in Grasse, he is heir to the absolute passion for flowers begun by Christian Dior himself, and perpetuated by each of the house’s creative directors. Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director for Dior women’s collections celebrates them as allies of determined femininity, while Victoire de Castellane, who works magic with jewellery, imagines them as fascinating baroque blooms. Kim Jones, artistic director for the men’s collections, invites them into a playful male-female game of liberty, while Peter Philips, master of colour and Dior make-up, is inspired by them as an ode to colour and life.
DIOR’S ETERNAL GARDEN
Leafing through the pages is an invitation to visit the poetic beauty of Dior gardens both past and present. Granville, the childhood home where everything began, Callian, a refuge in dark times, then Milly-la-forêt, where entire collections were born, and lastly, the Château de la Colle Noire, in the provençal countryside, which was Christian Dior’s final folly, where entire acres were planted with roses, jasmine, vines and olive trees. These many gardens were patiently and lovingly designed, planted and cultivated by Christian Dior, a nature-loving artist of the land.
A WORLD OF FLOWERS
Today, new Dior gardens are blooming all over the world in responsible and visionary fashion. These veritable human adventures build links between the house of Dior and local producers, whose harvests provide exceptional raw materials for house products, while giving a boost to their precious lands.
The world tour begins in Grasse, with centifolia rose, jasmine, tuberose and orange blossom, which are springing up in their thousands in the newly cultivated fields, thanks to Dior, for use in their perfumes. It continues in India, Sri Lanka, nosy be and Italy, where other flowers and rare materials are cultivated at partner domains. Further away, lies the richness of additional gardens dedicated to Dior skincare. Together they form a world map established decades ago, symbolizing solidarity and excellence: hibiscus in Burkina Faso and Longoza in Madagascar, the Granville rose and Swiss edelweiss, along with the Yquem vine and Anjou mallow, are some of the many miracles of nature that present their extraordinary life force at the heart of Dior skincare.
MIRACULOUS DIOR BLOSSOMS
In a visual testimony to his passion for roses, the book cover was shot by famous photographer Nick knight who also reveals a strikingly poetic portfolio. His “sublime beauties” are both a fascinating ode to love, and a way of revisiting the still life tradition and vanitas genre from the golden age of Flemish painting.
‘Dior in Bloom‘ also provides the opportunity for numerous writers to present their own valuable perspectives on the central place flowers hold at Dior.
Author Alain Stella composes a bouquet of eight favourite Dior flowers, revealing all the secrets and symbolism of the rose, violet, iris and orange blossom, along with tuberose, lavender, jasmine and lily of the valley.
In turn, Justine Picardie, a writer and major expert in fashion and its icons, reawakens the post-war memories of a new-look brimming with vitality, and of a still-contemporary flower-woman who continues to celebrate sublime blooms today. She also presents a moving portrait of Catherine Dior, the couturier’s beloved sister, also a great lover of flowers.
Prior to this, Jérôme Hanover, a luxury specialist and a fine connoisseur of the Dior universe, guides us through a veritable world of inspiration thanks to a travel journal that poetically evokes the origins of this floral passion, and draws up a portrait of those who help it live on today.
As for Naomi A. Sachs, landscape architect and therapist, she takes up the most recent theories of biophilia and analyses Christian Dior’s beneficial interactions with the gardens where he lived.