Book excerpt: The Golden Age of Couture celebrates a momentous decade in fashion history that began with the launch of Christian Dior's famous New Look in 1947 and ended with his death in 1957. It was Dior himself who christened this era fashion's 'golden age', a period when haute couture thrived and Paris enjoyed renown worldwide for the luxurious creations of designers such as Cristobal Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain and Hubert de Givenchy. While never competing with Paris in terms of glamour, London also proved itself a burgeoning fashion capital, boasting Savile Row, the undisputed home of bespoke tailoring, and prominent couturiers such as Charles Creed, Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell, who dressed debutantes, aristocrats and the royal family.