There was a time when travel was less democratic. When the most prestigious destinations were luxurious due in part to their unattainability. Exclusive, truly—as a reality, not an aspirational tagline. Slim Aarons was there, documenting enduring moments amid the beau monde that we still covet, even as everyone on Instagram replicates their own ideals of glamour. Weighing in at nearly two pounds and featuring more than 100 unpublished images, Slim Aarons: The Essential Collection (Abrams, October 3) gives insight into the man who most shaped public understanding of how the postwar global jet set lived. He started out as a war photographer and shot tough guys like mafioso Lucky Luciano before bringing a documentary sensibility to portraits of the privileged in Cannes, Palm Springs, or the islands of Italy. Though he would continue to shoot news, street photography, and portraiture all over the world, this was the milieu in which Aarons always seemed to feel most at home. His iconic depictions of the good life are profoundly alluring: You want to be among those people at the club, cabana, or château, cocktail in hand. The images are an invitation to step into this rarefied world and daydream, at least, that the heart of luxury is the place we all belong.
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This article appeared in the September/October 2023 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
