Dior by Dior

"The Dior autobiography is very sober, which is true of the designer’s own personality. But it’s a fascinating insight into the New Look, one of the most important post-war movements in fashion. Chanel hated corseting, which she felt constricted women. Her whole aesthetic was against it. When she saw Christian Dior doing just that, with his wasp-waist dresses and sharply tailored suits, she came out of retirement to compete against him. She hated the Dior look but many women adored it. I’m a huge fan and wanted to hear about it from Dior’s point of view. His take on the fashion industry is very interesting, but there’s very little on his private life. I think it’s because the French invented couture. But there has always been that link between French and English designers. McQueen, Galliano, Phoebe Philo and Stella McCartney all headed up French houses. In fact, you can trace the links between Paris and London all the way back to Chanel. They pretend to despise each other but, when it comes to fashion, the two countries have quite a creative relationship."