Dior: New Looks

From Jérôme Gautier, the author of the acclaimed Chanel: A Biography of Style, comes a gorgeous full-color celebration of one of the world’s finest couture houses that provides unprecedented insight into Dior's signature pieces and its definitive silhouettes—both the originals created by the master and their reinterpretations by the famous designers that have followed in his wake, including the house’s current designer-in-chief, Raf Simons.

In 1947, Christian Dior’s first collection—his New Look—amazed the world, reset the boundaries of modern elegance after years of wartime austerity, and earned him immortality. For decades, Dior’s search for the perfect line and the ideal silhouette has been celebrated and imitated by couturiers of the first rank: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, and now Raf Simons.

Using inspired pairings of classic and contemporary photographs, Dior showcases this brilliant designer’s elements of style for every generation since 1947. Seven thematic chapters examine outstanding Dior characteristics, including the silhouette, the evening gown, and the eternal muse—the signature aspects of Dior that have continued to give the house unique distinction. The most beautiful fashion plates from Dior’s own time are displayed with samples of the house’s creations through the decades, including the latest designs from Raf Simons.

As Dior makes clear, this legendary fashion house remains among the best in the world of couture, simultaneously honoring the past—like Christian Dior himself did in the 1940s and 1950s—while celebrating the present with undisputed elegance and panache.

This deluxe, oversized volume—packaged in a gorgeous cloth slipcase—features the work of some of the greatest fashion photographers of the past half century, including Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Patrick Demarchelier, Horst P. Horst, Sarah Moon, Paolo Roversi, Jeanloup Sieff, David Seidner, Ellen von Unwerth, and Tim Walker.