Paris

My Take on Dior by Dior

Book Reviews

I have just finished reading the autobiography of Christian Dior, Dior by Dior. Of course, I love a good autobiography. These are always better than biographies for me, as I get a sense of the person as they tell their tale. Dior by Dior was quite an interesting read.

For anyone unfamiliar with Christian Dior, he was, of course, a great Couturier. He was the man behind the famous fashion house, House of Dior, in Paris. His business grew to allow houses in New York and London as well. To go to a Dior show was quite a deal. In his book, Dior takes us through his process of designing a collection and what it takes to make the sketches a reality. I was very interested in how a Couture House worked. Dior explained this quite well. He also describes what it is like to attend a show at the House of Dior.

Dior tells of his early years, the houses he lived in, and how the friendships he formed when he was a young man influenced who he would become. There are a lot of interesting details of Dior, the man, that I did not know. He seemed most humble in his success.

For anyone interested in fashion or how the fashion industry works, I would highly recommend Dior by Dior. As always, Happy Reading!

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My Take on The Sharper the Knife the Less You Cry

Book Reviews, Cooking

I found the book The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn when searching the cook book shelves at the library. It looked interesting so I picked it up. From then on it was hard to put down.

The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry is a memoir of Kathleen’s journey to Paris after being let go from her job in London. Encouraged by her boyfriend, Kathleen enrolls in the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris to fulfill a life long dream. It reads like episodes from Master Chef. Also entwined in the book are her daily adventures of being an American in Paris, learning the French language, outings and entertaining friends, and life with her boyfriend Mike. She includes recipes as well. So the book is also a cookbook.

I found the book entertaining and really enjoyed sitting down to read it. It’s the kind of book I hated to see come to an end. I should also mention that Kathleen Flinn has a background in journalism, so the book is well written. If a fan of cooking, cooking shows, Paris, or just want to learn a bit about how Le Cordon Bleu works, this book fits the bill. Bon Appetit!