Scholars of the French couturier Christian Dior (1905–57) already will be familiar with Alexandra Palmer’s work. She has written and lectured extensively on post-war haute couture and the House of Dior in particular. Her latest work adds more contextualization to the iconic designer’s “golden age,” the ten years between 1947, when he showed his first collection, and 1957, the year of his death. Central to Palmer’s work is an ambitious foray into the construction of thirty-eight Dior garments in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) that reveal larger themes of the house and its designs. Palmer’s understanding of the technical nuances of Dior’s twice-yearly collections and special commissions gives depth and context to the designer’s New Look (buzzwords for the house and its fans even today). She documents the designer’s business and marketing acumen as well as the attention to detail in his highly aesthetic designs. She also traces Dior’s dependence on France’s luxury industries through fabric and embellishments. Illustrated with highly stylized, bold photography, Christian Dior: History and Modernity, 1947–1957 is an important addition to fashion studies generally and post-war haute couture more specifically. Palmer’s object-based research approach is in full force for the book, which in some ways acts as a post-exhibition catalogue for her recent 2017–2018 show at the ROM, Christian Dior. The dramatically lit and detailed photographs of the garments, augmented by archival images, further suggest a connection to Palmer’s recent exhibition. While this reviewer did not have the opportunity to see that show in person, the book serves as a lasting record of the new ground her research broke. Palmer contributes nuanced information and perspectives on this already well-covered designer. The book is organized into two main sections, each anchored around the ROM garments. The first section possesses the same title as that of the book and consists of ten short essays or chapters. This section gives detailed information on characteristics of the house’s garment construction and embellishments, historical influences, and references to earlier works in Dior’s oeuvre (he previously worked at the houses of both Robert Piguet and Lucien Lelong). The first essay, “Decoding Dior,” is arguably one of the most important. Here, Palmer outlines her methodology. She underscores the goals and labor involved in writing the book and introduces key aspects of the French couture industry as they relate 1 See for example Christian Dior: A New Look, A New Enterprise (1947–1957) (London: V&A Publishing, 2009); “Inside Paris Haute Couture,” in The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London, 1947–1957 (London: V&A Publications, 2007), 64–83; Couture and Commerce: The Transatlantic Fashion Trade in the 1950s (Toronto: UBC Press, 2001).

中文翻译：

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Christian Dior：历史与现代，1947-1957

法国时装设计师 Christian Dior (1905–57) 的学者已经熟悉亚历山德拉·帕尔默 (Alexandra Palmer) 的作品。她撰写了大量关于战后高级时装，尤其是迪奥之家的文章和演讲。她的最新作品为这位标志性设计师的“黄金时代”增添了更多语境，即从 1947 年展示他的第一个系列到 1957 年，即他去世的那十年之间的十年。Palmer 工作的核心是雄心勃勃地尝试建造皇家安大略博物馆 (ROM) 收藏的 38 件 Dior 服装，这些服装揭示了房子及其设计的更大主题。Palmer 对 Dior 每年两次的系列和特别委托的技术细微差别的理解为设计师的 New Look（即使在今天也是该品牌及其粉丝的流行语）提供了深度和背景。她记录了设计师的商业和营销敏锐度，以及他高度审美的设计对细节的关注。她还通过面料和装饰追溯了 Dior 对法国奢侈品行业的依赖。Christian Dior: History and Modernity, 1947–1957 以高度风格化、大胆的摄影为插图，是对一般时尚研究和更具体的战后高级时装研究的重要补充。帕尔默的基于对象的研究方法对这本书来说是完全有效的，在某些方面，它可以作为她最近在 ROM 克里斯汀·迪奥 (Christian Dior) 上的 2017-2018 年展览的展后目录。这些服装的明亮而详细的照片，加上档案图像，进一步暗示了与帕尔默最近的展览的联系。虽然这位评论家没有机会亲眼目睹那场演出，这本书是她研究突破的新领域的持久记录。Palmer 为这位已经很好地涵盖的设计师提供了细致入微的信息和观点。这本书分为两个主要部分，每个部分都围绕着 ROM 服装。第一部分与本书同名，由十篇短文或章节组成。本部分详细介绍了该品牌的服装结构和装饰特点、历史影响以及对 Dior 早期作品的引用（他之前曾在 Robert Piguet 和 Lucien Lelong 的作品中工作）。第一篇文章“解码迪奥”可以说是最重要的文章之一。在这里，帕尔默概述了她的方法论。她强调了撰写本书所涉及的目标和工作，并介绍了与法国时装业相关的关键方面 1 参见 Christian Dior：A New Look, A New Enterprise (1947–1957)（伦敦：V&A Publishing，2009 年） ; “巴黎高级时装内部”，《时装的黄金时代：巴黎和伦敦，1947-1957 年》（伦敦：V&A 出版社，2007 年），64-83；时装与商业：1950 年代的跨大西洋时尚贸易（多伦多：UBC 出版社，2001 年）。