Dior by Dior

I like all the simple things of life, such as small parties of old friends; I detest the noise and bustle of the world, and sudden, violent changes.

Having entered very late into this profession where others had spent a lifetime learning, and having had no training to guide me except my own instincts, I had always been afraid of betraying my ignorance of it. Perhaps it was this very fear of remaining the perpetual amateur that spurred me on to brush aside my doubts at last, and invent the character of Christian Dior, couturier.

As a matter of fact, that was exactly how I thought of myself, and it took me a long time to overcome this complex of mine.

At all events, he seemed prepared to believe that my ignorance of business was not a sign of mental deficiency and, for my part, I hope I didn’t create the impression of a guileless innocent trying to earn his living in a hard world!

When Fate brought me face to face with the inquiring face of my friend for the third time, on the same piece of pavement, my mind was made up. Without realizing for a moment that I was altering the whole course of my life, I said boldly:
‘After all this, would I do?’

financial success of another man. I was also toiling in the bonds of his creative inspiration, since my loyalty to Lelong prevented me from expressing my own rather different ideas.

It was true that I was extremely happy at Lelong and got on well with everyone there, but I was working all the time to achieve the fi

This had the effect of making me think seriously about my own future; for the first time, I wondered whether I was really devoid of personal ambition.

Pierre Balmain, one of my fellow designers at Lelong, decided to leave and start a new house under his own name – very successfully, as it has turned out.

On the fresh, still unblemished page before me, I hoped to record nothing but happiness.