The Paris Model
Page 32
The RAAF air base near Parkes did not operate until 1941, a little later than I sent Jack off to undertake his training.
The epigraph at the front of The Paris Model quotes Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, published in Paris in that landmark year, 1949. In it, the author exhorted women to challenge the myth that their modest and compliant ‘essence’ was immutable, and to instead throw themselves into lives that were not defined by gender. I don’t know whether Grace ever read de Beauvoir’s book, although it wouldn’t surprise me.
A.J.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to pay a particular tribute to Grace Woods (1 September 1922 – 27 April 2013). She not only ignited my imagination but also captured my heart.
My publisher, Anna Valdinger, bowled me over with her enthusiasm. I am incredibly grateful for her terrific expertise and unflagging support.
My thanks also go to the HarperCollins team, including all those from editing, design, promotion and sales who worked on The Paris Model, with a special shout-out to campaign manager Lucy Inglis and account manager Kerry Armstrong; designer Hazel Lam for creating a stunning cover that truly reflected my dreams; structural editor Nicola O’Shea and copy editor Dianne Blacklock for their scrutiny of the manuscript; and senior editor Scott Forbes for his careful attention to both the text and production.
Special thanks to Fiona Daniels, my eagle-eyed friend and inspiring mentor.
Similarly, the wise counsel of my agent, Catherine Drayton, has been greatly appreciated.
This book would never have been written without the generosity and trust of Sharyn Storrier Lyneham and her family. I am also grateful for the expert advice provided by her husband, Dr Robert Lyneham.
A big hug to my early readers and close companions Susan Williams, Jane de Teliga and Lyndel Harrison, who, together with my gorgeous daughter-in-law Anna Reoch, provided much helpful input and good cheer throughout the writing process.
While researching The Paris Model I was fortunate to visit three breathtaking retrospective exhibitions marking the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of the House of Dior: first in Paris in 2017 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs; later that year at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria; and at London’s V&A Museum in 2019. You could say that I became an international Dior exhibition groupie!
It would be impossible to list the many books I consulted, but those relied on most heavily included: Paris After the Liberation by Antony Beevor and Artemis Cooper; Les Parisiennes: How the Women of Paris Lived, Loved and Died in the 1940s by Anne Sebba; Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb; Dior by Dior: The Autobiography of Christian Dior by Christian Dior; Dior in Vogue by Brigid Keenan; Christian Dior: The Man Who Made the World Look New by Marie-France Pochina; Mes Années Dior: L’esprit d’une époque by Suzanne Luling, Christian Dior by Richard Martin and Harold Koda, Dressed to Kill: 100 Years of Fashion, produced by the National Gallery of Australia; The Muséee Christian Dior, Granville, published by Connaissance des Arts; Christian Dior: The Magic of Fashion, published by the Powerhouse Museum; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Life Beyond Her Wildest Dreams by Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince; Diana Cooper by Philip Ziegler; Chanel by François Baudot; The World of Coco Chanel: Friends, Fashion, Fame by Edmonde Charles-Roux; Châteaux of the Loire Valley by Alexis Averbuck, Oliver Berry, Jean-Bernard Carillet and Gregor Clark; In Vogue: Sixty Years of Celebrities and Fashion from British Vogue by Georgina Howell; and The Weekly by Denis O’Brien.
My family, particularly my wonderful children, Arabella and Bennett, have been endlessly encouraging. Rather like Olive’s tutelage of Grace, my own beautiful mother, Sybil, introduced me to the joy of high fashion. The support of my husband Philip and the delight he takes in my work mean the world to me. Believe it or not, it was only when I was well into the creation of this book that I realised I had unconsciously given my irresistible leading man the French version of his name.
Finally, to my readers: thank you for your lovely emails, messages and letters, for attending events, asking fantastic questions and, most especially, for sharing your own stories with me. The Paris Model came about because of one of you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALEXANDRA JOEL is a former editor of the Australian edition of Harper’s Bazaar and of Portfolio, Australia’s first magazine for working women. While occupying a number of other executive positions in the media industry she also contributed feature articles, interviews and reviews to national and metropolitan publications. She is the author of Parade: The Story of Fashion in Australia and Best Dressed: 200 Years of Fashion in Australia. Both detail the development of fashion, style and national identity. Her recent book, Rosetta: A Scandalous True Story, has been optioned for the screen by a major US-owned production company.
With an honours degree from the University of Sydney and a graduate diploma from the Australian College of Applied Psychology, Alexandra has also been a practising counsellor and psychotherapist. She has two children and lives in Sydney with her husband. She is a keen student of art, fashion, history and politics and is exceedingly fond of Paris.
COPYRIGHT
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First published in Australia in 2020
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Copyright © Alexandra Joel 2020
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