Peter Lindbergh (1944-2019) was one of the greatest photographers of his time. With an eye for drama and an unfailing sensitivity, the late image-maker shattered the glossy veneer of fashion photography, redefining the way it was perceived. Best known for his intimate, black and white portraits of famous faces like Kate Moss, Lucy Liu and Sarah Jessica Parker, the German photographer and film director offered a new, visual interpretation of women post-‘80s that paid more attention to the subject than to her clothes.
His focus was women; zooming in on their singular beauty, authenticity and vulnerability. And he celebrated them with a cinematic flair that borrowed liberally from a diverse range of film influences spanning the 20th century and industrially-themed street photography. Lindbergh was the man behind the camera that captured the ‘90s supermodels together for the very first time. That seminal image covered British Vogue’s January 1990 issue, creating a seismic moment in fashion and culture. It gave rise to the era of the supers – Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, Stephanie Seymour, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista – and in turn, created a new feminine ideal.
He was behind those unforgettable photos of Amber Valletta galavanting around New York in her angel wings and that shot of Helena Christensen draped in Dior too, which became a timeless emblem of elegance and strength. Right up until his death in 2019, Lindbergh cast his lens toward what made his subjects uniquely human, never once ceasing to create the incredible imagery that would eventually become cult. Now, in an expansive exhibition running until May 4, 2025 at La Galerie Dior in Paris’ 8th Arrondissement, Lindbergh’s legacy and the vision that unites the maison and image maker is on view for a new generation to discover.
Conceived with the support of the Peter Lindbergh Foundation, over 100 of Lindbergh’s photos of Dior creations are up for the perusal. Shot between 1998 and 2018, images originally taken for Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar sit alongside previously unseen contact sheets and reading prints. Unfurling across 10 spaces, the photos are displayed side by side with the Dior creations they immortalise – designed by Monsieur Christian Dior and his successors. The retrospective also spotlights an initiative dreamed up just for the maison: a vivid photoshoot taken on the streets of New York in October of 2018, the pictures of which have never been seen before by the public.
An unfettered celebration of women and a masterclass in storytelling, Dior/Lindbergh reminds us that true beauty isn’t airbrushed – it’s unfiltered and unforgettable. Don’t miss it. Get you tickets here.
Photography courtesy of Dior.
