florals

Florals Were Once Groundbreaking

Photo: Courtesy of Dior

More than a century before Meryl Streep made spring florals a sick burn, the house of Dior really was doing groundbreaking work with them. As Christian Dior famously said, “After woman, flowers are the most lovely thing God has given the world.” Dior grew up cultivating grand gardens with his mother at his childhood home of Granville, in Normandy, and described himself as happiest among flower beds and soil.

Dior’s new coffee-table book, In Bloom, examines the endless inspiration that the designer has found in the world of flowers. In the 1940s, Dior called his “New Look” silhouette, which featured cinched-in waists, “Flower women.” Lily of the valley (Dior’s rumored favorite flower) appeared as an embroidered embellishment on some of the brand’s earliest creations, like an organdy white evening dress from the 1957 haute couture spring-summer collection. Dior’s subsequent creative leads have also embraced botanicals in their work. In 2012, Raf Simons made his haute couture debut with a floral-heavy collection, presented in front of walls made of blue delphiniums, white orchids, roses, and peonies. Dior’s house perfumer, Francois Demachy, also uses flowers in his work, and champions biodiversity and female farmers.

In Bloom includes rarely seen photographs of Dior’s gardens and detail shots of the house’s best floral creations over the years. Photographer Nick Knight shot the cover, as well as an exclusive portfolio of rose portraits. Below, see some selects from the book.

Photo: Preparations for the haute couture Spring-Summer collection 2013. Raf Simons for Christian Dior.Photograph: © Sophie Carre/ DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Photo: Tableau Finaldress, grand gala gown in white tulle embellished with a garland of hollyhocks. Naturelle line, haute couture Spring-Summer collection 1951. Photograph:©Willy Maywald/ DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Photo: Christian Dior in the garden at Moulin du Coudretin Milly-la-Forêt, c. 1950. Photograph:©André Ostier/ DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Photo: Iris Photograph: © Debi Shapiro/ DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Photo: Detail of the May evening gown in ivory organza, embroidered with dark and light green leaves and yellow, purple, fuchsia, pink, and white flowers. Tulipeline, haute couture Spring-Summer collection 1953. Musée des Arts décoratifs, UFAC collections, Paris. Photograph: ©LazizHamani/ DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Photo: Nick Knight
Photo: Rose Photographie: © Debi Shapiro / DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Photo: Sunday 6th September,2015. Photograph: © Nick Knight / DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Photo: The “cool room” of the Château de la Colle Noire, on the ground floor looking out onto the garden, was where Christian Dior liked to enjoy his meals, sheltered from the heat of summer days. Photograph: © Bruno Ehrs/ DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Photo: Detail of the Musique de Fête long evening gownin Marie-Antoinette-blue organdy, white organza beltwith sumptuous pink blossoms. A line, haute couture Spring-Summer collection 1955. Dior HéritageCollection, Paris. Photograph:©LazizHamani/ DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Photo: Sunday 24th June, 2012. Photograph: © Nick Knight / DIOR IN BLOOM / CHRISTIAN DIOR PARFUMS
Dior in Bloom
$84
$84
Photo: Courtesy of Dior
Florals Did Used to Be Groundbreaking