Accompanying the exhibition inaugurated this spring at the Christian Dior Museum in Granville, “Dior. Memories of Childhood”, published by Rizzoli, looks at the Normandy youth of the House’s founding couturier. Written by Laurence Benaïm, the book explores how those early years shaped Dior’s vision of beauty and inspired timeless themes in his collections.

At the family villa, Les Rhumbs, Dior found a peaceful haven and developed a passion for flowers and gardening, shared with his mother. From his paternal side, he inherited an entrepreneurial spirit that would later lead him to create his couture house. Granville’s festivals and carnivals sparked his fascination with costumes and ball gowns, while Belle Époque seaside silhouettes also influenced his fashion vision. Views of Jersey from the villa awakened his interest in Great Britain and the wider world.

Richly illustrated with family archives and fashion photographs, the 168-page volume traces the origins of Dior’s codes through today.