YVES SAINT LAURENT
1957-1960 (above)
Thrust into the spotlight after the
unexpected death of Mr Dior from
a heart attack in October 1957, the
21-year-old former apprentice won
fans with his fresh and chic designs
(spring 1958 couture, pictured above).
But his role was cut short by military service
which sent him into terror. He spent much
of 1960 in a military hospital enduring
sedation and electric shock therapy.marieclaire.com.au 39RICHARD AVEDON ©
THE RICHARD AVEDON FOUNDATION; DIOR HERITAGE COLLECTION, PARIS PHOTO ©
SABINE WEISS
CHRISTIAN DIOR
1947-1957 (opposite)
The eponymous designer burst onto the scene at a time when the Western world
was hungry for fantasy and glamour. Dior’s famed “New Look” – decadent full skirts
and cinched waists – epitomised femininity and reshaped the future of fashion. As
the most influential designer of his era, he overhauled couture’s strict and stuffy image
by collaborating with creatives like young photographer Richard Avedon – perhaps
never to greater effect than in this famous shot of model Dovima in 1955.REPORTAGE