So Dior

This past month, Harrods celebrated the relationship between England and Christian Dior, the iconic French designer, with a huge So Dior exhibit and make-over. The windows were 

decked out just like Christmas windows with amazing displays. Little red buses carrying the fabulously popular round heeled shoes of the season around the sights of London.

My friends and I were treated to an hour long tour by a guide who fascinated us by the stories and history surrounding the Dior phenomenon.

We were anxious to hear all the details and feel the "Miss Dior emotion" as we were spritzed by his iconic scent.

Entering, we were amazed by the façade re-creation of the Paris headquarters on Avenue Montaigne, with silhouettes of Dior fashion

and glimpses of Dior perfumes in the little windows.

Christian Dior first presented his flattering feminine fashions in his 1947 collection, and this lovely "Bar" suit from that group was on display. 

Dior's special relationship with England began in 1953 when he came to England to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. A year later he had his first fashion show in Harrod's. Princess Margaret was a big fan.

Since Dior's untimely death at age 52, while on vacation in Italy, a succession of artistic directors has taken the helm of the house of Dior, the most current being Raf Simons, and the first being Yves. St. Laurent.

It was fascinating to see the stage of miniature Haute Couture re-creations from the history of the House of Dior telling the story of the design house through the years,

and we were spellbound gazing at this white tulle dress embroidered with silver sequins that Audrey Hepburn wore in 1959 for Harpers Bizarre magazine.

Equally stunning was this midnight blue satin dress worn by Princess Diana to celebrate the House of Dior's 50th anniversary in December, 1996.

Having always yearned a bit for the iconic Dior bag, I was intrigued by this grand scale bag, as well as being fascinated by its connection to Princess Diana. Evidently, the former first lady of France, Bernadette Chirac, gave Princess Diana this bag soon after it first came out in the mid 1990's, and Princess Diana loved it so much 

that she ordered one in every color. Soon after, the bag was christened to be the Lady Dior bag in honor of Princess Diana.

Many references to the Dior scents were on display, including this bottle of Miss Dior, the first scent of the company, which was exclusively designed for Princess Grace of Monaco with the Grimaldi coat of arms featured on the bottle.

Maybe you remember seeing this dress from the commercial with Charlize Theron for Miss Dior perfumes, when she channels the memories of Marilyn Monroe, Princess Grace and Marlene Dietrich in the Palace of Versailles. The design of the dress and beads reflects the design of the bottles which surround the mannequin here.

So feminine, so figure flattering, this gown is the one currently being worn by Natalie Portman for Miss Dior ads.

And if all that beauty and design left you feeling a bit overwhelmed, you could pause in the Dior cafe

for tea and "fashionable" cupcakes.

A delightful way to end a lovely experience!

Althorp Family Estate

I had the exciting opportunity to attend a literary festival for the very first time, where almost 30 authors had gathered to share their insights and perspectives on the books they had written. What made this festival extra special was the locale--the Althorp Family Estate, home of Earl Spencer, known around the world as the brother of Princess Diana.

Located in Northamptonshire, England, the ancestral estate to the Spencer family since 1508

 is now the home of Earl and Countess Spencer and six children.

The stable block is strikingly different in sandstone, Italian in flavor,

and looks over some of the 14,000 acres that make up the country estate.

Within the estate are farms, woodlands, cottages, and villages.

Once inside, our group was invited to have tea in the Picture Gallery

where Lord Spencer greeted us graciously. Educated in Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, he was working as a correspondent for NBC news in America when his father died, and he was called back to England

to become the ninth earl and head of the family. He was very outgoing, kind and well-spoken, and when he discussed his latest book, we were charmed by his stories.

Although we were not allowed to tour the entire house with its impressive collection of art, paintings, furniture and china, we did get to see the grand Saloon,

as well as the State Dining Room, modeled after the dining room in Buckingham Palace,

and the beautiful staircase graced by Diana's and Charles's portraits.

Diana's presence is felt throughout the home where she grew up,

and she is buried on the grounds of the Althorp Park.

Her body rests today on an island in the middle of a lake called Round Oval where stands a single urn. No visitors are allowed on the island,

but we could pay our respects to her at the shrine just beside the lake,

where her silhouette is a poignant reminder of what a unique and beautiful woman she was.

Her very words remain as a testimony to her generous spirit, which is being carried out today by her two sons, Princes William and Harry.

Just as touching are the words of her brother, Earl Spencer, which were spoken at her funeral in September of 1997.

 Her beauty will never be extinguished from our minds.

Da Mario's

Looking for a casual place for dinner this week, Cristen searched her NFT (Not for Tourists)  iPhone app, and found us a delightful little Italian restaurant in the Kensington area named Da Mario's. Approaching the restaurant, we were delighted to find a building that was both interesting and a little unusual. A little homework on my part revealed that the building is 120 years old, specifically commissioned by Queen Victoria and is a blend of two styles--Venetian and Gothic.

Inside we were pleased to find a cozy family restaurant popular with the locals.  We were warmly greeted by the waitstaff and we immediately set about perusing the menus.

At our table, we tried their delicious pizza bread and buffalo mozzarella as starters, and then we moved on to some delicious pizza and rigatoni pasta. Everyone was very happy with their selection.

As you enter the restaurant, you are reminded on the steps leading to the door that this location was a favorite of Princess Diana and her boys.

Even the painting above our table of Diana and Mario was reminiscent of those days. Interestingly enough, there is also a lower floor seating area with a disco--music starting at 10:30. 

Be ready all my London friends--there's a disco night in our future, so polish those dance steps and be ready to hustle and slip into the electric slide!!!