Jérôme Gautier – författare

Celebrating 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.

The creative brilliance of Chanel - from Coco Chanel herself to Karl Lagerfeld - as seen by the greatest photographers of their times. 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.

Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was, without doubt, the most influential designer of the 20th century. This book honours her influence by celebrating the key elements that defined and still define her style through inspired pairings of classic and contemporary photographs. Juxtaposing fashion plates from Chanel's own time with the most recent creations by Karl Lagerfeld, such as Cecil Beaton's portrait of Coco Chanel presented alongside one of Cate Blanchett by Lagerfeld himself, 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 in eleven chapters that compare original forms in the 1920s with the full range of their later expressions through every fashion era. Chanel's legendary fashion house continues to captivate a huge audience with an insatiable appetite for one of fashion's undisputed style perennials.