Dior by Yves Saint Laurent is the second volume in an unprecedented series of books devoted to each designer of a couture house, the ultimate compendium of the most memorable haute couture creations conceived and handcrafted by the renowned house of Dior since its inception. Carefully conserved in the world’s great museums and institutions, these fashion treasures have been photographed and exclusively compiled for this indispensable collection.
Of all the great Parisian couture houses, Dior is perhaps the most famous and prestigious in the world, embodying Christian Dior’s sublime vision of femininity, which Saint Laurent elaborated and evolved into the beginning of the tumultuous decade of the 1960s.
Featuring beautiful photographs by Laziz Hamani, this impressive volume encompasses Yves Saint Laurent’s most iconic haute couture designs for the house of Dior, from the Trapèze silhouette of his debut Spring-Summer 1958 collection to the beatnik inspiration for Autumn-Winter 1960. Esteemed fashion journalist Laurence Benaïm eloquently recounts details and anecdotes behind more than 30 selected pieces, providing profound insight into Saint Laurent’s inspirations, influences, and vision for the evolution of the house of Dior.
Journalist and writer Laurence Benaïm is the author of Yves Saint Laurent (Grasset, 1993), the biography of reference on the designer, with several updated reeditions. She has devoted several other works to the couturier, including Yves Saint Laurent: Naissance d’une légende (La Marinière, 2002) and Requiem pour Yves Saint Laurent (Grasset, 2010), in addition to Dior: La Révolution du New Look (Rizzoli, 2014) and Femmes en Dior: Portraits d’élégance (Rizzoli, 2015). Benaïm is also the author of the biographies Marie-Laure de Noailles: La Vicomtesse du Bizarre (Grasset, 2001) and Jean-Michel Frank: Le Chercheur de Silence (Grasset, 2017).
Photographer Laziz Hamani is constantly evolving and challenging himself. Passionate about creating beautiful images, his life is defined by a constant search for aesthetics and meaning. He has worked with many prestigious luxury brands, and he has collaborated with Assouline Publishing on more than twenty titles. From the finest details of high jewelry to the purity of minimalist design, Hamani aims to bring the viewer into dialogue with the image, to evoke power and beauty through his unique simplicity.