The grain of fabric is the secret of couture.” Christian Dior
Dior’s parents wanted him to become a diplomat. He studied political science for three years and left to design. His parents succumbed with the stipulation that the family name not appear on the title of the business.
Christian Dior’s New Look was an immediate sensation, offering an alternative to the boxy masculine fashion post WW1. Dior’s fashion featured full, richly pleated skirts, cinched waist, hip hugging pencil skirts, long gowns epitomizing a fashionable new womanly silhouette.
Dior designed dresses for English debutantes in the 50s.
Famously, in 1951, Dior designs a dress (silk organza, mother-of-pearl and sequins) for Princess Margaret’s 21st official portrait, photographed by Cecil Beaton.
Dior designs dresses for many American celebrities that graced numerous red carpets: Olivia de Havaland, Jane Russell, Elizabeth Taylor, Rihanna, Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lawrence.
The ateliers are the heart of Dior. The dresses made entirely by hand, using both traditional and modern techniques, often taking hundreds of hours to complete. Upon Dior’s sudden death, Yvette Saint Laurent, former Assistant, just 21 years old, appointed creative director at the House of Dior.
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is first collection, circa 1960, moved the emphasis away from the waistline. Successive Creative Directors at the house, have continued Dior’s enthusiasm for the fantastical and fairy tale Dior ball gown, evening dresses and ready to wear. 
Present day Creative Director is notably the first woman, Maria Grazia Chiuri.
St Paul’s Cathedral aka The Nations Church, was the tallest landmark until 1962, rising 365 feet high, designed by Christopher Wren over 30 years.
Notably, Princess Diana and Charles were married in this church. One can climb stairs to the Whispering gallery, where you can hear a companion whisper from quite a distance away. It was an unplanned effect of the dome design.
Climbing 500 steps, the Golden Gallery awaits 360 views of the river Thames and the Millennium bridge that embarks on the white Globe theatre and the Tate Modern Art. Architect, Wren and Admiral Nelson are buried here.
Florence Nightingale and Winston Churchill are not buried here, but there is a tribute to Florence Nightingale. And Churchhill‘s funeral was held here.
Took a bus to Covent Square, where I stumbled into an Apple store, to watch a live feed of Apples special event broadcasted from Cupertino. Stopped me dead in my tracks. I like the new Apple credit card! I arrived a bit late for the market. Totally enjoyed the scene.
The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty Theatre was not to disappoint. The venue was both grand and intimate. It is the only theatre in the world where the name will change from Her Majesty to His Majesty Theatre, upon the changing of HRH. The production in SF was anemic compared to the London production. The live orchestra added to the great soundtrack. The changing sets were mesmerizing, the costumes were ornate and the theatrics was fun. A powerful performance and I love that they sell ice cream during intermission!
Before the London bridge was built, London did not exist. What made London bridge so famous and why it made my list to visit: it is Medieval, and at one time, counted over 30 spiked heads beheaded for treason and dipped in tar for preservation, displayed on the bridge, circa 1600. More recently, in 2017, London Bridge was the target of a terrorist attack. As a response, security barriers were installed between the bridge’s pavement and road. I felt safe crossing.
Harrods dept store was on my list mainly to see the princess Diana memorial. To my dismay, this memorial was removed six years ago and Mohamed Fayad no longer is the owner of Harrods. As relayed by a shop keeper, the Queen denied Fayad citizenship, forcing him to sell the business and move to Switzerland. Nevertheless I had something to eat, something to drink, took a picture, and shopped for clothes. Bypassed the American Brands and tried on a number of fashion from Italy and Great Britain, alas nothing really fit….
I ended my day at the Prime Ministers home, 10 Downing Street, but it was gated and guarded. I passed the Cabinet War rooms, a tour I would have loved to see! I jumped a bus to Piccadilly’s circus which resembles NYC Time Square. Had Mac and cheese with a gin and tonic and talked to a Canadian reservist Captain, stationed in Iraq and returning to his home in Nova Scotia after six months. We talked about everything from when the British and Commonwealth resisted World War II and the Americans reluctant to get involved. We talked about the Commonwealth of which Canada was one, and how much influence America has in the world reflected by the marketing of Coca-Cola, Nike and Hollywood cinema.
Tomorrow my last day, beginning with a sold out exhibit of Christian Dior at the V & A, to a tour of St Paul Cathedral, Covent Garden and a great seat at her Majesty’s theatre to watch Phantom of the Opera to unify my trip to Paris and London!
My first day arriving in London I went straight to Buckingham Palace. I’m not really sure why but when I was in Washington DC I went straight to the White House it was the only address I knew. Unfortunately there are no tours of the of the rooms until the summer months but there is always Kensington Palace.
Started my day at the Portobello market, akin to Notting Hill, recommended by Jules, Tim and Nat. The market had everything a person could want: mink coats, Persian lights, antiques, vinyl records, old maps. Large bowls of paella boiling and French bakeries and even found a Portuguese bakery and indulged in ‘natas’. Notting Hill was made famous by Hollywood movie: Notting Hill. Hugh Grants bookstore is now a gift shop and never found his blue door. In fact, found the hood touristy but was enamored by the green sprawling, quiet gardens, accessible to only the residents of the well maintained Notting Hill flats. Spring has arrived in London. The birds are chirping, pink magnolias blossoming and white blossoms line the grounds.
Took the Underground and walked to the Royal Albert Hall for an impromptu 3pm light show Classical Extravaganza by the London Philharmonic orchestra. The newly commemorated Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Steps are evident as approaching the hall. A state of the art stunning round building with 5 levels. Finding my seats, helped along the way, I take in the music posters along the hallways:Diana Ross greeting Princess Anne, Sting, Robert Plant, Roger Daltry, even James Taylor! I’m sitting next to a lean man, my age, from the countryside, who travels to London for the occasional show, takes the train, sits in the nosebleed section, alongside me. Says he “sweeps floors.” The conductor started with 2001 A Space Odyssey with a corresponding light show. On to Sousa’s March, that has played at every American inauguration, and Handel’s Hallelujah sung beautifully by the choir. Reluctantly, left at intermission to see more sights of London.
Payed my respects to the Princess Diana memorial in Hyde Park, contrary to trip advisors critique, it was a fitting design to reflect Diana’s life, water flows calmly and then swirls, meeting in a calm pool at the bottom. The Peter Pan statue was a bust-under construction.
Metro or bus to London’s Eye, a Birdseye view of London. A bit of a disappointment-didn’t know what views I was looking at. On my way to eat fish n chips, stumbled on a tunnel of murals, the highlight of my day.
On the recommendation of my host, late night dinner, fish n chips, mushy peas, white bread and chips aka fries at Golden Hinde! That’s a ship built in London that SFD discovered SF. Celebrating and thinking of my friend, Mary Khans birthday today.
I ended the day, watching protesters against Brexit, return from the large scale rally.
I seamlessly find my way using the timely, punctual French metro, first stop Saint Chapelle, built 1200 is insignificant from outside but the interior is quintessential Gothic architecture. Climbing a narrow, winding, stone facade staircase to enter the upper interior of the St Chapelle- you know you’ve arrived. Gothic and light doesn’t usually go together but here it does. The 15 separate stained glass panels show the history of the world: creation/genesis, coming of Christ, and the end of the world. After arriving, I always take the time to sit and rest.
Notre Dame-was beautiful by night during an Organ recital. The next day, I returned and managed a glimpse of the Crown of thorns and view the Holocaust Remembrance aka Le Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation, focusing on the French Jews that were annhilated. This was a moving, thoughtful reflection of the atrocities from the French perspective. The French remind you that the Notre Dame still function as a church, confession, mass. I was quietly told to stop talking on the phone when I was only listening to the Rick Steve’s podcast.
The French love to tell the story of their saint Jeanne D Arc famous French feminist, who knew how to read, unheard of then and knew how to ride a horse and how to shoot. She volunteered to fight the English but the Army refused. Defiant, she took control of the retreating army, she defeated the English army by tactic and intelligence. Hailed as a hero. However, there were still royalist sympathizers, she is captured and brought back to Paris. She admitted “Angels talked to me” Now she was accused of being a witch, tried and sentenced to death, executed at the age of 19, burned at the stake, in front of Norte Dame, Around the 1500, French historians reviewed and reversed history, first French heroine, first feminist, newly Saint Jeanne d Arc.
idreamofjeannie 