Published to mark the 75th anniversary of one of the world’s greatest couture houses, this gorgeous book combines Christian Dior’s classics with the newest creations

Christian Dior achieved immortality with his first collection in 1947. His ‘New Look’ amazed the world as it emerged after wartime austerity, and reset the boundaries of modern elegance. Dior’s search for the perfect line and the ideal silhouette has been celebrated by couturiers of the first rank: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri have all made their distinctive contribution.

This book honours Dior’s influence by celebrating the elements of style for every generation since 1947, through inspired pairings of classic and contemporary photographs. Six thematic chapters express outstanding Dior characteristics, including the silhouette, the evening gown and the eternal muse - in short, the aspects of the House that lend it unique distinction both then and now. The most beautiful fashion plates from Dior’s own time sit beside examples of the house’s creations through the decades. The resonance between classic archive photographs and the latest most up-to-date frames is clear and compelling.

Contents List:

Prelude
Chapter 1 Field of Dreams
Chapter 2 Strike a Pose!
Chapter 3 Return of Romance
Chapter 4 Princesses in Bloom
Chapter 5 Muses
Chapter 6 Dior’s Guidelines

About the Author:

Jérôme Gautier is an expert on fashion photography and the history of fashion. His book Chanel: The Vocabulary of Style was published to critical acclaim by Thames & Hudson in 2011.

Gabrielle Chanel was, without doubt, the most influential fashion designer of the twentieth century.

She was years ahead of her time and her clothes, cuts and accessories have remained eternally chic, creating a look for her era and beyond.

Chanel’s influence is demonstrated here by celebrating the key elements that defined and still define her style, through inspired pairings of classic and contemporary photographs.

Putting together fashion plates from Chanel’s own time with the most recent contemporary creations by the house’s visionary designer-in-chief, Karl Lagerfeld, the resonance between archive and contemporary photographs becomes sharp, vibrant and telling.

The vocabulary of Chanel’s style – the little black dress, baroque inspirations, androgynous chic – is revealed and interpreted by comparing original forms from the 1920s with the full range of their later expressions through every fashion era up to today.

Images by the modern greats of fashion photography display the triumphs of one of the world’s most visible and distinctive brands: Edward Steichen, Horst P. Horst, Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier, Karl Lagerfeld, Peter Lindbergh and Mario Testino are among the galaxy of ultra-gifted photographers whose work appears in this volume.

About the Author:

Jérôme Gautier is a journalist and expert on fashion photography and the history of fashion. He lives and works in Paris.

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‘A sumptuous book that links the couture house’s past classics to its present collections’ – Harper’s Bazaar
'A visual feast'– ASOS Magazine
'It's big, it's glossy, it's gorgeous'– The Observer
‘It is the pairing of classic and contemporary photographs, that makes this book unique, and most effectively illustrates the simplicity of Chanel’s work that allows it to be endlessly reinterpreted afresh... a rewarding testament to the most iconic of design houses, and of women’– The Scotsman

The outstanding elements of Dior’s style for every generation since 1947, presented in an inspired narrative of classic and contemporary photographs, together with some exquisite unpublished rarities

Christian Dior achieved immortality with his first collection in 1947. His ‘New Look’ amazed the world as it emerged after wartime austerity, and reset the boundaries of modern elegance.

Dior’s search for the perfect line and the ideal silhouette has been celebrated by couturiers of the first rank: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano and Raf Simons have all made their distinctive contribution. In these pages, the most beautiful fashion plates from Dior’s own time sit beside examples of the house’s creations from each decade.

The legendary fashion house continues to represent the best taste in couture, honouring the past – as Christian Dior himself did in the 1940s and 1950s – and celebrating the present with undisputed elegance and panache.

Jérôme Gautier is an expert on fashion photography and the history of fashion. He lives and works in Paris.