Miss Dior

Miss Dior tells the story of Catherine Dior (1917-2008), who was the muse of her brother Christian and a brave member of the French Resistance. British writer Justine Picardie follows in the footsteps of the younger sister of one of the world's most influential fashion designers, who inspired his famous perfume and influenced his concept of femininity and beauty.

Two years after the Second World War, Paris was recovering from the German occupation and longing to live again. Christian Dior was the one who gave her a new confidence in the fashion field when he presented his first collection known as the New Look. The style of refined luxury, femininity and elegance revolutionised women's clothing and made Paris once again the centre of world fashion. At the same time as New Look, Dior's first and still legendary perfume Miss Dior was created, named in honour of his younger sister Catherine. A woman who risked her life in the resistance against the Nazis and survived torture, a concentration camp and a death march. One who inspired her brother in many ways and cherished his legacy until her death. But while Christian Dior has become one of the most famous Frenchmen in the world, Catherine remains in his shadow. Justine Picardie's book is a path to redress: meticulously reconstructs Catherine's life story while exploring the legacy of a tender brother who could not forget his sister's suffering, even as he wrapped her wounds in floral silk and the scent of love.

The text is accompanied by a large number of rare period photographs and illustrations.

British author and journalist Justine Picardie (1961) is the author of six books, including the international bestseller Coco Chanel (2010), a biography of the French fashion designer, which has been published in fifteen languages. She was editor-in-chief of the prestigious fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar and has written for The Sunday Times, The Telegraph and The Observer.