Mrs. Boussac

"Mrs. Boussac would view the collections but was not genuinely interested in fashion. She ordered evening dresses in shimmering colors, which best complemented her eyes and were apt to evoke the enchantments of the stage and spectacle. However, dressing during the day was of little importance to her. To attend her dance classes at Salle Pleyel, she needed to feel simple and “comfortable” in her work outfit. She always wore the same little suits and beret, along with an eternal raincoat that did not hint that her husband owned the world’s leading fashion house. Moreover, when she asked about the price of the designs, they always seemed too expensive to her! Only in the evening did seduction reclaim its rights; she was fond of sky blue in the house and on herself, wore wonderful pastel muslins, and adorned herself with astonishing jewelry."

"Boussac recalls: “Everything had been prepared in the utmost secrecy, and the day before the first presentation of the collection, I returned home in the evening to Neuilly and saw in the entrance a bouquet of remarkable composition made of white and black orchids. It had been sent by Christian Dior. I had never seen a bouquet so beautiful. I went up to Mrs. Boussac’s apartment and said to her, ‘Don’t worry about tomorrow, there is not a florist in the world capable of making a bouquet as beautiful as the one I just saw. From now on, I am sure it will be an immense success.’”"