Dior Glamour 1952-1962

Dior Glamour 1952-1962: A Rare Look Into The World Of Christian Dior

                                                   

Dior in-house model Eugénie Pompon wearing the Clorinde dress, Autumn-Winter 1954 Haute Couture collection, H line.
Book cover, © Mark Shaw, Rizzoli.

Heavyweight publishing house Rizzoli has just released a luxurious volume presenting a decade of dazzling Dior haute couture photographed by the legendary Mark Shaw in the 1950’s. Titled ‘‘Dior Glamour: 1952-1962’’, the book contains black-and-white and colour photographs (including some of the very first fashion photographs ever shot in colour). Many of these images have never been published before, having only recently been found in a hidden vault by Mark Shaw’s estate.

Mark Shaw’s photographs fully capture the drama and elegance of the period as he enjoyed the privilege of being allowed backstage at Dior’s fashion shows. The Parisian fashion world in the 1950‘s was an exclusive, secretive environment: due to the fierce competition amongst fashion houses, designers were very protective of their designs – models were reportedly covered in white sheets when having to appear in public on their way to photo shootings so that the garments they wore weren’t seen and thereby copied. In earning Christian Dior’s trust, Shaw managed to document some rare behind-the-scenes moments of the famous couturier during fittings, as well as models, socialites and actresses posing in Dior’s creations in private settings.

This photograph was taken in the home of Suzanne Luling, Christian Dior’s couture director. Since she was wildly social and extremely popular, her quai Malaquais apartment was famous for its happening cocktail parties and Sunday night canasta evenings that Monsieur Dior attended.1960, Romance dress, Spring-Summer 1960 Haute Couture collection, Silhouette de demain line.
photo © Mark Shaw.

A much sought-after photographer during his lifetime, Mark Shaw (1921-1969) is mainly known for his long collaboration with LIFE magazine, as well as for his iconic family photographs of the Kennedys, taken before and during John Kennedy’s presidency. He is considered to have revolutionised fashion photography, because of his wide takes which added context and character to the fashion and the subject he was shooting.

[YatzerTip] Many of the never before published images contained in Rizzoli’s ‘‘Dior Glamour: 1952-1962’’ are available from the online luxury marketplace 1stdibs.

Sophie Malgat - the wife of the film director Anatole ‘Tola’ Litvak—was one of the rare models who starred on the catwalk and had ''cover girl'' status in magazine editorials. ''Sophie knew how to move in clothes and how to pose,'' says Brigitte Tortet. ''She defined truly elegant.'' Shaw photographed her in the Jardin d’Hiver of Christian Dior’s hôtel particulier on boulevard Jules Sandeau in Paris’s 16th arrondissement.
1953, Evening dress, Autumn-Winter 1953 Haute Couture collection, Vivante line.
photo © Mark Shaw.

Kouka modeling Bohan’s wedding dress in Dior’s Grand Salon. In her opinion, ''the fashion house was temple-like,'' a world of good taste and general excellence.
1961, Hyménée dress, Spring-Summer 1961 Haute Couture collection, Slim Look line.
photo © Mark Shaw.

1958, Lola dress, Autumn-Winter 1958 Haute Couture collection, Courbe line.
photo © Mark Shaw.

DIOR GLAMOUR: 1952 - 1962
Photographed by Mark Shaw
With a Preface by Lee Radziwill* and an Introduction by Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni*
Hardcover / 11” x 14” / 240 pages / 140 colour and B&W photographs / $115.00 U.S.
Rizzoli New York
ISBN: 978-0-8478-4185-1

* Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni is a Paris-based British writer who has been covering fashion, interiors, and lifestyle for twenty-four years. After working at W magazine, she became the European editor of U.S. Harper’s Bazaar. She currently contributes to many publications including British Vogue, Visionaire, and the U.S. edition of Vanity Fair. She writes the bi-monthly column Inner Chic for anothermag. com, the monthly Letter from Paris for Japanese Marie Claire and is the author of Sam Spiegel: The Biography of a Hollywood Legend, Tino Zervudachi: Portfolio, and “Understanding Chic” (an essay from the anthology Paris Was Ours).

* Princess Lee Radziwill, born Lee Bouvier, is the younger sister of Jackie Kennedy. Renowned for her elegance and sense of style, she remains a fashion icon.

1961, Jungle, Canada, and Amsterdam models, Autumn-Winter 1961 Haute Couture collection, Charme 62 line.
photo © Mark Shaw.

Two visions of Renée, one of Christian Dior’s favorite models who represented his physical idéal. ''Every dress she puts on seems to be a success,'' he wrote in his memoirs. According to Victoire, Renée’s proportions ''were so perfect that they were shop mannequin-like.''
1954, Gazette du bon ton dress, Autumn-Winter 1954 Haute Couture collection, H line.
photo © Mark Shaw.

sources: yatzer & Rizzoli