Book: A Joyful Melancholy, Christian Dior by Christian Bérard

Christian Dior and Christian Bérard met and formed their unwavering friendship, nourished by personal sympathies and an incredible symbiosis, in the late 1920s. The former is as well known for the rigor of his work, his architectural cuts and discretion as the latter is for his diverse creativity, taste for excess and flamboyant personality. The two artists were complete opposites who united and complemented each other. If the couturier of dreams marked his era by redesigning women's silhouettes, the painter of anxiety stood out as a genius jack of all trades — fashion illustrator, interior designer, set designer for Jean Cocteau and others — both fundamentally influencing each other's careers. Illustrated with Christian Dior Couture creations, the book is an invitation to dive into the whirlwind and captivating era, from the Paris' Boeuf sur le Toit cabaret to post-war café society. Laurence Benaïm, fashion journalist and writer, weaves a story of elective affinities and artistic references, viewed through these two down-to-earth yet romantic characters who embody the charm and rigor of French taste.