Press office

Employees in the press office, circa 1950.

Press summary

In the three days that separated the dress rehearsal from the presentation, Christian Dior composed the “press summary” that, in a few sentences, explained the name of the line. By reducing the most striking designs to their essence, the season was defined. The accessories, hats, belts, jewelry, gloves, umbrellas, etc., were also described in these four pages, which gave a precise idea of the style of fashion that Christian Dior was offering.

Press release for the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 1954 collection, Muguet line. © Dior

Robert de Maussabré and Jean-Claude Donati

Robert de Maussabré and Jean-Claude Donati were in charge of public relations. A few weeks before the fashion show, the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture sent the list of 600 accredited French and international journalists. The press office handled the invitations, but also the seating of the guests, which could change up until the last minute.

Jean-Claude Donati, head of Christian Dior's Press Department in his office, 1954.

Plan of the salons

A large map of the salon, showing the placing of the numbered chairs, was filled with the names of the guests. Two hundred and fifty people had to be divided between two salons and a landing, while still leaving room for the models to pass through. The placing of each guest was a delicate matter of hierarchy that had to take into account the importance of the newspaper or magazine, the fame of the journalist, and the friendships and rivalries between them.

An employee from the Christian Dior couture house making the final preparations before a fashion show, 1956.

“Harper’s Bazaar has its sofa. Vogue presides in front of the fireplace. Bettina Ballard and Michel de Brunhoff have their place. Femina is opposite. L’Officiel has the corner with the good view. Hélène Lazareff the best one. Le Figaro holds on to its section. (…) There’s the first row, the second row, the first salon, the second salon and the entrance, and the staircase. Everyone guards their place like an intangible fiefdom and the slightest change is considered an affront.”

Christian Dior

Marie-Louise Bousquet, Richard Avedon and Carmel Snow attending the Christian Dior Haute Couture fashion show.

Marie-Louise Bousquet, Richard Avedon and Carmel Snow attending the Christian Dior Haute Couture fashion show.

Marie-Louise Bousquet, Richard Avedon and Carmel Snow attending the Christian Dior Haute Couture fashion show.

A few days before the show, the press office moved to a small room overlooking the courtyard on the mezzanine floor, to be closer to the presentation salons. By order of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, the press was under an embargo not to publish drawings or photographs of the new designs for a month, to avoid the risk of copies and to protect the buyers, who paid dearly for the exclusive right to reproduce them.

Jean-Claude Donati in his office.

Magazines

The magazines also requested access to the prototypes for their photographic reportages. The photoshoots often had to be done at night, when the prototypes were neither in the hands of the buyers nor of the private clients. A few weeks later, they would be found illustrating the pages of national and international publications, styled by the great photographers of the day.