A Dior Biography, Revisited

The house of Christian Dior has been a leader in fashion since that celebrated day — February 12, 1947 — when a young, shy designer introduced what would come to be known as the New Look. With a nipped waist and full skirt, the style marked the return of beauty and refinement to postwar Europe.

The importance of the iconic silhouette and the lasting impact of the man who created it were captured brilliantly by biographer Marie-France Pochna in her 1996 "Christian Dior: The Man Who Made the World Look New." The book, which was out of print, has just been republished by Overlook Press with a new name — "Christian Dior: The Biography" — and, indeed, a new look. This time around, the book is a glossy, elegant number that nevertheless maintains the integrity and serious reporting of the original.

"It is a comprehensive and thorough look at his life. It was also the first explanation of his intimate life," Overlook Press's Jack Lamplough said. "This is an important cultural document in the history of fashion." In addition to a number of new images (170 in total), this edition includes an introduction by the house's current designer, John Galliano. "My role is to keep Dior as rebellious and as romantic as the path Mr. Dior started it on," Mr. Galliano writes. "When I arrived I wanted to blow off the cobwebs and bring back the unexpected — that is the 'New Look,' that is what is to me so Dior and inspires not only me but so many of my contemporaries and the next generation."

Ms. Pochna is touring Christian Dior boutiques around the country, and the book is currently available for $37.95 at bookstores nationwide.