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photography. Make-up artist Serge Lutens
incorporated the Explosion de Couleurs
advertising campaign which broke away
from the tradition of cosmetic brands and
also sparked a revolution. The campaign
captured by Guy Bourdin and inspired
by a magazine photo about the Nigerian
civil war, showed a model with make-up of
multi-coloured stripes across her face like a
mask. Following Lutens’ departure in 1979,
Tyen took over the position a year later
and has created the make-up at Christian
Dior ever since. His use of light as a three
dimensional effect in his photography
campaigns with Italian photographer
Paolo Roversi echoed the Dior Haute
Couture collections and opened the
way for other photographers to bring
new moods and new styles of femininity.
These included Nick Knight’s work for the
Manga campaign in spring 2002 which was
shot with explosive energy, David Sims’
photography of the very 1960s, doe-eyed
Kate Moss for Dior Addict lipstick in 2010
and Natalie Portman in shining glory for
the Diorshow New Look mascara by Mert
Alas & Marcus Piggott in 2012.
The last section, ‘Sovereign Style’ reveals
how in the old days photographers exert
power and photo sessions were organised
to suit their desires, including selecting the
décor, hair and make-up artists that they
wanted. Florence Müller writes, ‘Their
gentlemanly stature went well with their
dominant position in the fashion press.
Lord Snowdon, Sir Cecil Beaton, and
Norman Parkinson were worldly men
with natural presence. Richard Avedon,
Guy Bourdin, and Helmut Newton had
the power to exert total control over
their publications in magazines.’ The
photographers’ set preferences are also
revealed such as Irving Penn’s insistence
on using the Studio Astre on rue Saint-
Dominique over
Vogue’s
in-house location.
We also learn how from the 1960s, Paris
was no longer the foremost setting for
exterior shots but with the expansion
of foreign travel, many photographers
ventured in new territories: for example
Henry Clarke teamed with Vogue editor
Susan Train in North Africa and Asia while
David Bailey took PenelopeTree to Hawaii
and South America.
A very interesting and informative book
that provides a better understanding of
fashion photography and the success
behind the Christian Dior haute couture
collections admired the world over,
Dior:
The Legendary Images
is published by
Rizzoli NewYork.
www.rizzoliusa.com© Dior: The Legendary Images, Rizzoli
NewYork, 2014
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