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Cordelia de Castellane Embraces Dior Talismans in Her New Collection C hristian Dior once said, "Fortunately, there are flowers." Ever inspired by his wisdom, Cordelia de Castellane, Dior Maison and Baby Dior artistic director, also embraces nature as muse and has a beautiful new book on the matter: Flower Couture: From My Garden to My House (Rizzoli). De Castellane delves into the garden at her own home in the French countryside, where she lives life in color and emotion through flora. "It's flowers that speak to me best about color, nuance, and harmony," she writes. In her artistic arrangements, she never mixes more than three colors at once and approaches red with caution, letting it stand alone. She ruminates poetically on her favorite flowers, such as the rose, which symbolizes grace, love, and femininity, and is one of the eternal symbols of the house of Dior. For her latest Maison Dior collection, Les Gris-gris de Monsieur Dior, de Castellane has incorporated four symbols that Monsieur Dior considered good luck — the rose, the clover, the bee, and the star. Magnificently photographed at Château de la Colle Noire — Christian Dior's beloved former residence near Grasse, France, where he had hoped to retire — the collection includes earthenware plates, tea and coffee sets, glassware, and more that highlight the four symbols in a painterly manner. While the queen of Dior's talismans was the rose, it was a metal star on rue du Faubourg Saint- Honoré that pointed the way to Monsieur Dior to open a boutique. He kept a metal four-leaf clover close by and viewed his fashion house as a beehive when designing collections. As he renovated the château, Dior, whose passion was architecture, embraced his talismans in the design — the entry features a pink-and-gray pebble mosaic floor compass, also known as a star or a rose of the winds. dior.com. By Anne Lee Phillips Photography Laora Queyras Dior Bar Jacket, the original look from Monsieur Dior teacup and saucer The star symbol on a chair at Château de la Colle Noire Les Gris-gris de Monsieur Dior Bee pattern tableware with Cannage glassware, here and right 44