Dior: New Looks

FromJérômeGautier,theauthoroftheacclaimedChanel:ABiographyofStyle,comesagorgeousfull-colorcelebrationofoneoftheworld’sfinestcouturehousesthatprovidesunprecedentedinsightintoDior'ssignaturepiecesanditsdefinitivesilhouettes—boththeoriginalscreatedbythemasterandtheirreinterpretationsbythefamousdesignersthathavefollowedinhiswake,includingthehouse’scurrentdesigner-in-chief,RafSimons.In1947,ChristianDior’sfirstcollection—hisNewLook—amazedtheworld,resettheboundariesofmoderneleganceafteryearsofwartimeausterity,andearnedhimimmortality.Fordecades,Dior’ssearchfortheperfectlineandtheidealsilhouettehasbeencelebratedandimitatedbycouturiersofthefirstrank:YvesSaintLaurent,MarcBohan,GianfrancoFerré,JohnGalliano,andnowRafSimons.Usinginspiredpairingsofclassicandcontemporaryphotographs,Diorshowcasesthisbrilliantdesigner’selementsofstyleforeverygenerationsince1947.SeventhematicchaptersexamineoutstandingDiorcharacteristics,includingthesilhouette,theeveninggown,andtheeternalmuse—thesignatureaspectsofDiorthathavecontinuedtogivethehouseuniquedistinction.ThemostbeautifulfashionplatesfromDior’sowntimearedisplayedwithsamplesofthehouse’screationsthroughthedecades,includingthelatestdesignsfromRafSimons.AsDiormakesclear,thislegendaryfashionhouseremainsamongthebestintheworldofcouture,simultaneouslyhonoringthepast—likeChristianDiorhimselfdidinthe1940sand1950s—whilecelebratingthepresentwithundisputedeleganceandpanache.Thisdeluxe,oversizedvolume—packagedinagorgeousclothslipcase—featurestheworkofsomeofthegreatestfashionphotographersofthepasthalfcentury,includingRichardAvedon,CecilBeaton,PatrickDemarchelier,HorstP.Horst,SarahMoon,PaoloRoversi,JeanloupSieff,DavidSeidner,EllenvonUnwerth,andTimWalker.