Stars in Dior: From Screen to Streets

“. . . a love letter to the eponymous designer . . .”

There are few designers who can boast this roster of celebrity clients: Sophia Loren, Olivia de Havilland, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Marion Cotillard, Brigitte Bardot, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, Jayne Mansfield, and countless others who either wore the clothes of Christian Dior in films or donned them in real life—or both.

Whether the designer was Christian Dior himself, Yves St Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferre, or John Galliano, the namebrand Christian Dior is synonymous with the world of the silver screen, with celebrity, and with the glamour days of Hollywood.

Stars in Dior is a love letter to the eponymous designer and a brand that has grown into a veritable powerhouse in the world of fashion. La maison du Dior became the go-to fashion resource for stars as well as directors who wanted to display their stars in the best possible light.

So vociferous and fierce were fans of the designer that some refused to work if Dior were not involved. Marlene Dietrich dictated to the great Alfred Hitchcock, “No Dior . . . No Dietrich!”

Ms. Dietrich, Ms. de Havilland, and Ms. Loren and were nothing short of rabidly loyal clients and supporters, many other celebrities coming into contact with and falling in love with the brand via a single production or a standout creation.

For in today’s world of celebrity, success is all about stars who borrow clothing via their stylists or are given clothes. But back in the late 1940s through the 1970s, celebrities actually bought their clothes for all occasions—and unlike outfits or gowns off the rack that might just be affordable, haute couture don’t come cheap.

Mr. Hanover provides the reader with a biography of the great Dior, including his brief stint as a costume designer for eight films prior to opening maison du Dior. Once the house was firmly established, the house of Dior took the world of fashion and celebrity by storm, no matter who was at the helm of the great design house.

While there is no question that Dior himself occupied the starring role in his company, he is closely followed by John Galliano. According to the book, most of the other designers who helmed the company at one time or another seem to serve as the supporting cast to the real marquee names.

Go out and buy this exquisitely rendered volume of extraordinary photographs and intelligent text that will educate and entertain the reader on so many levels. Your interest in the subject may be fashion based, but there also is a certain thrilling element of vicarious participation in the glamour that defines Dior when reading Stars in Dior: From Screen to Streets.