© Raphaël Dautigny
Exhibition
Alfred Hitchcock's favourite actress, who became Princess of Monaco in 1956 after marrying Prince Rainier III, remains a legendary figure 37 years after her passing in 1982. To mark the 90th anniversary of her birth, the Christian Dior Museum in Granville decided to focus its attention on the princess's personality and status as a timeless style icon.
After meeting Prince Rainier, Grace became particularly taken with Dior creations. She appeared at her engagement ball at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel wearing a dress custom made by the Dior ateliers. That same year, she posed for an official portrait taken by Yousuf Karsh, dressed in the Colinette haute couture model designed by the founding couturier for his Fall-Winter 1956-1957 collection.
In September 1960, Marc Bohan became Artistic Director following the death of Christian Dior. He saw her as the perfect embodiment of a style that was sophisticated, in vogue, understated, tasteful – and perfectly aligned with his vision of couture. The princess saw Marc Bohan as Monaco's most up-to-the-minute and glamorous fashion designer, as well as a dear family friend.
In 1967, the princess agreed to be the patron for Baby Dior and attended the opening of the first boutique for children's clothes alongside the Artistic Director. At the Prince's Palace, she accessorised her bathroom with Dior perfume bottles and would entertain Serge Heftler-Louiche, one of Christian Dior's childhood friends from Granville, who became president of Christian Dior Parfums.
© Raphaël Dautigny
