Christian Dior is renowned as the architect of the New Look, the epitome of elegance and beauty. But Dior’s own life, privileged as it began in glittering Belle Époque France, was marked by loss and hardship through the Wall Street Crash and under the Occupation in World War II. From the extremes of both wealth and poverty, and using the talents he had developed amid the bohemian crowd of Paris’s left bank—his eye for fashion, skill as an illustrator, and gift for friendship—Christian Dior emerged, dynamic and more resolute than ever, to found the Maison Dior.

His groundbreaking fashions brought style and joy back to the streets of Paris and the world. Maison Dior became a landmark—like the Eiffel Tower—evoking an image of Parisian chic that everyone wanted. In just ten years, Dior created an empire that spanned the globe : his was one of the first Parisian couture houses to become a truly international brand. Throughout this meteoric rise, Christian Dior was surrounded by a fiercely loyal group of friends and colleagues who shared in his successes and fears, and helped him to achieve his vision. But such drive took its toll, and Dior suffered a fatal heart attack at just fifty-two.

This sensitive biography looks behind the accolades to understand the private Dior—the man who suffered loss but loved deeply, who was quiet in person, yet known for extravagant displays of generosity. He overcame his own challenges to share the unique, beguiling world of his imagination and, in doing so, revolutionized the fashion industry and the way women would dress forever after.