Dior: The Legendary Images: Great Photographers and Dior

“Dior: The Legendary Images arrives and astounds and amazes the reader with its content and appeal.”

It is rather difficult to conceive of yet another monograph devoted to the designer Christian Dior and his body of work. Yet Dior: The Legendary Images arrives and astounds and amazes the reader with its content and appeal. This small but glorious volume serves as a catalog for the exhibit that will take place at Musee Christian Dior in Granville from May 3 to September 21, 2014.

The subject matter focuses on the photography that has been an integral part of the house since its inception in 1947. The breadth of the content is staggering as are the images themselves that enable the reader to truly see the glories of the clothes as well as of the man himself.

The cast of “contributors” is a veritable who’s who of photography both past and present that will more than fulfill the expectations of any visually stimulated reader. Muller is very careful to explain that there is/was a distinct collaborative relationship between the designer, the photographer, and the brand. She manages to accomplish this with great and enlightening brevity.

Without question or hesitation this book is recommended to the most jaded of fashion readers as well as the uninitiated or those who just adore magnificent images from the past and present. The text is wonderfully informative, germane, and yet entertaining without being cumbersome or overdone. This book belongs in the library of any photography buff or any fashion aficionado and will serve as reference as well as entertainment.

The one drawback found by this reader is that one cannot help but notice that the incredibly rich, vibrant, and sophisticated heritage that has been integral to the house for over 60 years is somehow being diminished with its current designer in residence.