In the House Of Dior

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istian Dior celebrated his childhood home in his designs, so since 2005 is the centennial of his birth, his childhood home will be celebrating him with a series of summer events in the French town of Granville. It was here, in the picturesque seaside village on the Normandy coast, that the legendary couturier spent many of his early years, and where he developed the deep passion for nature that would strongly influence his fashion and fragrances.

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The centerpiece of the celebration, an exhibition entitled "Man of the Century," will run from May 15 to Sept. 25 at the Christian Dior Museum. Located in the designer's beloved childhood home, a delightful 19th century cliff-top villa of which he once wrote, "My life and my style owe nearly everything to its site and architecture," the show explores Dior's designs and influences, featuring early fashions and the artwork that inspired him. Also on display will be original garments from the 22 haute couture collections that Dior presented in the decade before his sudden death from a heart attack in 1957, and creations by his successors, including Yves Saint-Laurent and John Galliano, the house's current creative director.

"Christian Dior had a very strong influence in all categories of life," says Jean-Luc Dufresne, the exhibition's curator. "He was not only a leader of fashion in the '40s and '50s, but he was very influential in artistic life between the wars." Dior started off as an art gallery owner, exhibiting the work of Neo-humanist and Surrealist painters such as Christian Bérard and Salvador Dalí.

The fête, which runs concurrently with the exhibit, features organized walks through the spectacular garden of Dior's childhood home. Other attractions include a vintage car rally, from May 13-15; a festival of films in which Dior dresses appear, from Sept. 14-18; several sporting events, including the Christian Dior Cup golf tournament held at the Baie du Mont Saint-Michel golf club on July 23-24; a fashion photography show at the Richard Anacréon Museum of Modern Art, from May 15-Sept. 25; and a series of concerts and workshops. For more on this summer's fashion hot spot, tel: (44-20) 7 712 0172; www.musee-dior-granville.com.