Dior : À la recherche des couleurs de l'enfance

Exhibition at the Dior Museum, Granville, 4 April – 15 September 2026

The family home in Granville, Normandy, was a haven of peace where Christian Dior’s creative identity began to blossom. In the 1910s and 1920s, it was in the villa’s grounds that he discovered a passion for flowers and gardens and took his first steps into the world of art and fashion. The villa’s peaceful and enriching atmosphere was fuelled by the optimistic and flourishing spirit of the Belle Époque, which was echoed in the entrepreneurial ventures of the Dior family and in the town of Granville, which had become a fashionable seaside resort.

This exhibition catalogue traces how Dior’s hometown became fertile ground for his talent and gave rise to the House of Dior. It highlights the links between the garden of his childhood and floral motifs, examines how Granville’s social life fuelled his imagination for ball gowns, and shows how the seaside fashion of the era influenced designs such as the Grain de sel suit or the Goélette ensemble.

Drawing on rare archives, photographs by masters such as Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier and Paolo Roversi, as well as iconic creations by successive creative directors, the book sheds light on Dior’s origins and the visionary spirit that continues to guide the House today under the creative direction of Jonathan Anderson.