Dovima with Elephants, Evening Dress by Dior, Cirque d'Hiver, Paris

<p>Richard Avedon characterized his improvised approach to fashion photography as “a vacation from life.” <em>Dovima with Elephants</em> originally appeared in a 14-page story on Paris fashions published in the September 1955 issue of <em>Harper’s Bazaar</em> (where Avedon was staff photographer from 1946 to 1965). Avedon photographed the model known as Dovima (born Dorothy Virginia Margaret Juba) in a studio and various Paris locations, including the Cirque d’Hiver, where this image was shot. He later recounted, “I saw the elephants under an enormous skylight. . . . I then had to find the right dress and I knew there was a potential here for a kind of dream image.” The dress chosen was in fact the first design for Dior by 19-year-old Yves Saint Laurent. In the photograph Dovima appears poised and fearless, her sinuous contours echoing those of the massive pachyderms she seems to command.</p>