Dior Images: Paolo Roversi

If in fact history does repeat itself, then Dior Images is the first book of the New Year that will focus on the iconic and heritage brand of Christian Dior. As has been said before, each new book finds a way to uniquely approach the subject and in this instance it is via the photographic images of the internationally renowned photographer Paolo Roversi.

In a case of expectation vs. reality the prospective reader should be aware that Roversi’s oeuvre is not quite the same as fashion readers have become accustomed to with books of this genre. Roversi may have been trained and studied with the masters but his work is much more personal, much more poetic in a way.

“I always say that the designer is the composer of the music, and the photographer plays the instrument—or is the interpreter of the piece.”

It is a very odd sensation to finish a book like Dior Images and have words like lyrical, mythical, poetic, evocative, and intimate come to mind but in fact that is exactly how this reviewer felt upon completion. it is as if each image has a story to tell and not just about the dress. If there is a slight downside to the book it would have to be the introduction which at times is a bit weighty. The difficulty in the introduction may be that it was translated from Italian in a rather clunky manner.

“Roversi’s photography always demonstrates that the body only becomes visible and encounters the light through the garment.”

Besides the magical images that are the soul of the book, there is a feature that includes “handwritten notes” that are literally tacked onto a page and are Roversi’s immediate thoughts upon meeting a model or perhaps completing a shoot. This is a very intimate way for a reader to sense the mindset of the photographer.

The takeaway here is that Dior Image is just as much about maison Dior as it is about Paolo Roversi and his modus operandi when it comes to fashion photography. Once again, this is a unique perspective in which to examine the topic of Dior. One last thing is that the clothes featured are not called out by designer or year until the very end of the book in a visual index.