Dior and His Decorators: Victor Grandpierre, Georges Geffroy, and the New Look

Clothing designer Christian Dior (1905–57) is credited with reanimating French haute couture following World War II. His signature wasp-waisted, full-skirted New Look was the epitome of chic elegance at a time not long after wartime shortages. These iconic designs were presented in his highly stylized Paris salon. Design historian Footer (George Stacey and the Creation of American Chic) weaves the intersecting stories of Dior and interior designers Victor Grandpierre and Georges Geffroy to demonstrate how they bridged French traditional design and modern glamour by reinterpreting neoclassicism. The full biographical, professional, and artistic careers and backstories of each man is explored. While Grandpierre is remembered for devising the palette and design vocabulary of the Dior salon and brand, Geffroy is recognized for a pioneering eclecticism in private residences, including Dior's. Although last year saw the publication of Pierre Arizzoli-Clémentel's Georges Geffroy (1905–71): Une legende du grand decor français, Footer's is the first book to cover Grandpierre thoroughly.