Fashion photography is a genre of photography devoted to displaying
clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often
conducted for advertisements or fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, or
Elle. Over time, fashion photography has developed its own aesthetic in which the
clothes and fashions are enhanced by the presence of exotic locations or
accessories. History
Fashion photography has been in existence since the earliest days of
photography. In 1856, Adolphe Braun published a book containing 288
photographs of Virginia Oldoini, Countess di Castiglione, a Tuscan
noblewoman at the court of Napoleon III. The photos depict her in her official
court garb, making her the first fashion model.
In the first decade of the 20th century, advances in halftone printing allowed
fashion photographs to be featured in magazines. Fashion photography made its
first appearance in French magazines such as La mode practique. In 1909,
Condé Nast took over Vogue magazine and also contributed to the beginnings of
fashion photography. In 1911, photographer Edward Steichen was "dared"
by Lucien Vogel, the publisher of Jardin des Modes and La Gazette du Bon Ton, to
promote fashion as a fine art by the use of photography. Steichen then took
photos of gowns designed by couturier Paul Poiret. These photographs were
published in the April 1911 issue of the magazine Art et Décoration. According to
Jesse Alexander, This is "...now considered to be the first ever modern
fashion photography shoot. That is, photographing the garments in such a way
as to convey a sense of their physical quality as well as their formal
appearance, as opposed to simply illustrating the object."
Vogue was followed by its rival, Harper's Bazaar, and the two companies
were leaders in the field of fashion photography throughout the 1920s and
1930s. House photographers such as Edward Steichen, George Hoyningen-Huene,
Horst P. Horst and Cecil Beaton transformed the genre into an
outstanding art form. In the mid-1930s as World War II
approached, the focus shifted to the United States, where Vogue and Harper's
continued their old rivalry. In 1936, Martin Munkacsi made the first
photographs of models in sporty poses at the beach. Under the artistic direction
of Alexey Brodovitch, Harper's Bazaar quickly introduced this new style into
its magazine. House photographers such as Irving Penn,
Martin Munkacsi, Richard Avedon, and Louise Dahl-Wolfe would shape the look
of fashion photography for the following decades. Richard Avedon revolutionized
fashion photography — and redefined the role of the fashion photographer — in
the post-World War II era with his imaginative images of the modern woman.
From 1939 and onward, what had previously been the flourishing and
sizeable industry of fashion photography all but stopped due to the beginnings of
World War II. The United States and Europe quickly diverged from one
another. What had previously been a togetherness and inspired working
relationship divulged as Paris was occupied and London under siege. Paris,
the main fashion-power house of the time quickly became isolated from the United
States—especially with French Vogue shutting down for a brief hiatus in
1940. With these changes, the photography based out of the USA gained
a distinct Americana vibe—models often posed with flags, American brand cars,
and generally just fulfilling the American ideal. What did remain of the
French and British fashion photography on the other hand often had a wartime
overlay to the content. Cecil Beaton’s ‘Fashion is Indestructible’ from 1945
displays a well-dressed woman viewing the rubble that once was Middle Temple
in London. Similarly, Lee Miller began taking photos of women in Paris and
London, modeling the latest designs for gas masks and bicycling with pincurlers
in their hair, as they did not have electricity with which to curl their
hair. Images such as these remain scarred into the face of fashion
photography of the time and display a common sentiment among the fashionable
world and the public. Even fashion photographers worked to document the
issues surrounding and work towards a documentation of the time—even if within
the frame of fashion. These photos are an especially good indication of the
fashionable emotions of the time. Many felt that fashion photography, during
wartime especially, was frivolous and unnecessary. Yet, the few who worked to
preserve the industry did so in new and inventive ways throughout the duration
of the war. In postwar London, John French pioneered
a new form of fashion photography suited to reproduction in newsprint, involving
natural light and low contrast. Contemporary fashion photography
After the deaths of Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Francesco Scavullo and
Herb Ritts, some of today's most famous fashion photographers are Patrick
Demarchelier, Steven Meisel, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh and Annie
Leibovitz. Gallery
See also References