In flamboyant images, the new book Dior by John Galliano, published by Assouline, reveals the British couturier’s creative virtuosity. From 1997 to 2011, he infused each silhouette he dreamed up for the House of Dior with audacious passion. A vibrant retrospective in which fashion is a subject of perpetual wonder.
Photos – Laziz Hamani, courtesy of Dior ©
Dedicated to John Galliano’s singular odyssey at Dior, this opus is the fifth volume in a new series of books that pay tribute to the House’s various artistic directors. By restyling codes and playing with references, the English designer invented a new, contemporary fashion, a convergence of his dreams and travels — either real or imagined — and Dior’s abundantly rich heritage.
Throughout these pages, (re)discover his most emblematic looks, collection after collection, in photographs by Laziz Hamani interspersed with images by Richard Avedon, Peter Lindbergh and Paolo Roversi. Each piece seems to come to life through intense contrast, revealing to the reader its essence, reliefs and textures. It opens with a navy satin dress trimmed with lace made especially for Lady Diana, in 1996 – a prelude to an anthology of creations illustrating more than twenty-five haute couture collections, reflections of immeasurable ingenuity and the exceptional savoir-faire in the Dior ateliers.
From hypnotic Maasai-inspired pieces to sculptural pharaonic silhouettes, explore the countless inspirations and fabulous fascinations of John Galliano for Dior. Written by Andrew Bolton – curator in charge of the costume institute at the metropolitan museum of art – texts and “portraits of dresses” recount the story of a whimsical era marked by insatiable creativity.
