Horst: Photographer of Style

“Horst: Photographer of Style is the type of fashion/photography coffee table book that will continue to give new perspectives with each reading and is a must for those who have even the slightest interest in either of those topics.”

It is truly difficult to comprehend that there has never been a book totally devoted to this legendary photographer. Horst P. Horst left us his legacy of some of the most iconic and memorable photographs of the 20th century, and now we really get to see the full breadth of his work. This stunning and detailed overview of his output also serves as a catalog for an exhibit of his work that is currently showing at the V&A in London.

Horst: Photographer of Style is about as apt a title as one can get; it is clear, simple, and spot on. Horst found style everywhere from nature to interiors and most of all within the world of fashion where he left his indelible mark. There is no question that one of his most iconic photos and the most recognizable is that of a seated woman wearing a laced up corset shot from behind (think Madonna). What is more unknown is that Horst “owned” (took)  some of the greatest fashion photos of any century as well as some of the most iconic Vogue covers, many of which we may not have even known were to his credit.

The exhibit/book may be geared to the photography buff but there is unquestionable allure for those of us who dwell in the land of fashion. No matter where he strayed, as far as subject matter, his work always circled back to fashion. As said, what is so wonderful here is that the reader is exposed to a 360-degree view of Horst. There is so little beauty that escaped his lens.

There was so much we may have never known about such as an exquisite series of male nudes, society portraits, interiors of the rich and famous, as well as a series of botanicals. After the initial reading, one realizes just how much influence this one man wielded and inspired during his 60-year career and surely still does in the 21st century.

This is not a book that one can recommend strongly enough because Horst may have set the bar or the platinum standard for so many genres of photography. This is a one-volume encyclopedia that will offer its reader everything from education to just sheer enjoyment and pleasure.

Horst: Photographer of Style is the type of fashion/photography coffee table book that will continue to give new perspectives with each reading and is a must for those who have even the slightest interest in either of those topics.