Fashion Eye Hong Kong

In 1962, the German magazine Revue asked Frank Horvat to team up with the writer Dieter Lattmann to create a number of features on major cities around the world. Late that year, the duo arrived in Hong Kong, then under British rule. Horvat was fascinated to discover a dense city laid out vertically, packed with people, dwellings, objects and symbols, where empty space was unimaginable. It perfectly suited his style, because he liked to compose his images in black and white, filling the frame with his subject. As a large part of the commissioned work was not included in the published article, most of the images appearing in this book have never been seen before.

Born in Italy in 1928, Frank Horvat grew up in Switzerland. In 1951, he went to Paris, where he met Henri Cartier‑Bresson, whose influence would be decisive. Horvat settled in Paris and gained recognition for his photographs taken with a telephoto lens capturing nightlife scenes in the French capital. His sharp journalist’s eye would serve him well for his fashion images: favouring shots taken in the streets, he brought a freshness and vitality to the genre, playing a key role in its revival. From the 1970s, he turned his attention to more personal work, with each project giving rise to a book or exhibition. He died in Paris on 21 October 2020.

Inspired by the House's travel heritage, the Louis Vuitton Fashion Eye collection evokes cities, regions or countries through the eyes of fashion photographers, from emerging talents to industry legends. Each title in the series features an extensive selection of large-format photographs, together with biographical information and an interview with the photographer or a critical essay. After Louis Vuitton City Guides and Travel Books, this third collection presents travel photography with a fashion perspective, as the chosen photographers all infuse their images of great cities, faraway places or dream destinations with their unique vision.