Royal Ontario Museum Publishes Christian Dior: History and Modernity, 1947 – 1957

TORONTO, November 26, 2018 — The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is pleased to announce the publication of Christian Dior: History and Modernity, 1947 – 1957 on November 30, 2018.

In the lavishly illustrated and researched new book, author and ROM curator Dr. Alexandra Palmer breaks new ground, exploring the style, cut, and feel of the Dior look — a look that, when it first appeared, revolutionized the entire Paris haute couture industry coming out of the dark days of World War II, and laid the foundation for the House of Dior’s global success.

Christian Dior draws from close analyses of the Royal Ontario Museum’s own Christian Dior haute couture collection (1947–1957). Wedded with extensive research, sketches, and documentary material from Dior Héritage; archival images, technical analyses and patterns by Berta Pavlov; and striking photographs of the museum garments taken by world-renowned Dior photographer Laziz Hamani, Christian Dior is an essential read for those interested in fashion, art, culture, and history.

Related Programming
To celebrate the publication of Christian Dior, the ROM will host DIOR: History and Modernity, an afternoon of conversation with Dr. Alexandra Palmer on Sunday, December 2, 2018. Guests will discover the stories behind the iconic designer and the ROM's exquisite collection of Dior couture. This event is free with RSVP and the new book will be available for sales and signing.

About the Author
Alexandra Palmer is the Nora E. Vaughan Senior Curator, Textiles & Fashions at the Royal Ontario Museum where she responsible for over 44,000 artifacts, in the collection of western fashions and textiles. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Art at the University of Toronto. Dr. Palmer has curated many exhibitions, including Christian Dior (2017) and Fashion Follows Form: Designs for Sitting (2014) (recipient of the 2015 Richard Martin Exhibition Award). She has contributed to numerous museum catalogues, scholarly books, and journals as well as authored the award-winning books, Dior: A New Look, A New Enterprise 1947–1957 (2009) and Couture & Commerce: The Transatlantic Fashion Trade in the 1950s (2001).

About the Publication
Christian Dior: History and Modernity, 1947—1957
By Alexandra Palmer
With photographs by Laziz Hamani and patterns by Berta Pavlov
Publication Date: November 30, 2018
8 x10, 280 pages, fully illustrated
$49.99
Royal Ontario Museum and Hirmer Publishers

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For more information, interviews and images, please contact:
Josslyn Johnstone, ROM Communications
jjohnstone@rom.on.ca | 416.586.5784

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ABOUT THE ROM
Founded in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum showcases art, culture and nature from around the world and across the ages. Among the top 10 cultural institutions in North America, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive museum is home to a world-class collection of 13 million art objects and natural history specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new and original findings, the ROM plays a vital role in advancing our understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world. Combining its original heritage architecture with the contemporary Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the ROM serves as a national landmark, and a dynamic cultural destination in the heart of Toronto for all to enjoy.