Fashion

photo… EN
Introduction

Fashion photography
History
Contemporary fashion
photography Connected to: Fashion Photography Magazine

Gallery
See also From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

References This article needs to be updated. Please update this article to re ect recent events o…

Fashion photography is a genre of photography which is 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. 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
o cial court garb, making her the rst fashion model.[1] Fashion photograph by Toni Frissell, 1949

In the rst decade of the 20th century, advances in halftone printing allowed
fashion photographs to be used in magazines. Fashion photography made
its rst appearance in French and American magazines such as La mode
pratique and Harper's Bazaar.[2] 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 ne art by the use of photography.[3] Steichen then took photos of
gowns designed by couturier Paul Poiret.[3] These photographs were
published in the April 1911 issue of the magazine Art et Décoration.[3]
According to Jesse Alexander, This is "...now considered to be the rst 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."[4]

Vogue was followed by its rival, Harper's Bazaar, and the two companies were
leaders in the eld of fashion photography throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
House photographers such as Steichen, George Hoyningen-Huene, Horst P.
Horst and Cecil Beaton transformed the genre into an outstanding art form. The Countess in a photo by Pierre-Louise Pierson
(c. 1863/66)
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 rst 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 rede ned the role of the fashion photographer — in the post-World War 2
II era with his imaginative images of the modern woman.

From 1939 and onward, what had previously been the ourishing 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 diverged with Paris occupied and London under siege. A modern fashion photograph by Inez van
Lamsweerde
Paris, the main fashion-power house of the time quickly became isolated
from the United States—especially with Vogue Paris shutting down for a brief
hiatus in 1940.[5] With these changes, the photography based out of the USA gained a distinct Americana vibe—models
often posed with ags, American brand cars, and generally just ful lling 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 1941 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.[6] 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.[7]

In postwar London, John French pioneered a new form of fashion photography suited to reproduction in newsprint,
involving natural light and low contrast.[8][9]

In the recent years fashion photography gained an even greater popularity due to the expansion of internet and
ecommerce. Clean product, knolling and ghost mannequin photography have become a usual practice in the fashion
industry.[10]

Contemporary fashion photography

After the deaths of Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Francesco Scavullo, Herb Ritts, and Gleb Derujinsky, some of
today's most famous fashion photographers are Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Meisel, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh
and Annie Leibovitz.[11]

Gallery

Paddington Station by Toni Frissell, Photograph of a green American model Renée

1951 brocade silk saree Gunter modeling haute
couture

See also

References

Categories

This page is based on a Wikipedia article written by contributors (read/edit).

Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Cover photo is available under CC BY 3.0 license. Credit: Renée Gunter (see original le).

Tell your friends about Wikiwand!

Gmail Facebook Twitter Link

Home About Us Press Site Map Terms Of Service Privacy Policy