Christian Dior. Destiny: Marie-France Pochna

The House of Dior's official biography reveals the secretive and surprising man who revolutionized fashion, with new insight on his spirituality and relationships and a contemporary perspective on his legacy.

In 1947, when Christian Dior's model spun her wasp-waisted skirt and tipped a hat over one eye, the iconic designer became an instant celebrity. His groundbreaking New Look was quintessentially Parisian-the perfect combi­nation of fanciful and elegant that glorified the female form and seduced his international clientele.

Yet it was by mere chance that Dior-hapless in the face of personal and professional tragedy-met a friendly priest who helped him to rebuild his faith and to find the strength to chart his glorious destiny. He went on to upend the downtrodden postwar era with his joie de vivre and his pursuit of a single goal: to make women "not only more beautiful, but happier" through the proportions of his marvelous designs and a color palette that reflected the Parisian sky. Today, the legacy of this witty yet staunchly private man shines on as his intuitive creativity continues to inspire the House of Dior's designers to reinvent the woman of tomorrow.