History of Fashion Photography - Research
1830s-modern day
1830/40s
It wasn’t until this time that the actual method of photography was developed but the whole idea of Fashion Photography didn’t come about until later. It wasn’t until the 1st decade of the 20th century that fashion photos came about. This was because halftone printing techniques were made in this time. The roots of the profession are found in Victorian society portraiture. From as early as the 1840s, debutantes, actresses, and dancers posed in their finery for portrait photographers, similar to how their mothers had sat for the great portrait painters of their day. During the age of pre-photography age, fashion magazines such as Le Costume Francais and Journal des Dames et des Modes had included engraved illustrations but had only a limited readership. The advancements in the processes of printing in the 1890s allowed photographs to be printed on the same page as text, this caused fashion magazines to become more widely available.
1900
In 1909, Conde Nast Bought an American social magazine entitled Vogue. He transformed it into a high-class fashion publication with international aspirations. Swiftly followed by the re-launched Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue sought to capture the spirit and fashions of New York London and Paris through innovative photography and a growing supply of glamorous models.
Fashion photography rose because of the start of magazines such as Harper’s bazar 1867 and vogue 1892. They introduced fashion and therefore the art of fashion photography to the world.
It was in 1911, at the height of Europe’s golden age of prosperity and elegance, that the NYC based American photographer Edward Steichen photographed models wearing dresses by the designer Paul Poiret. Thirteen soft focus images were printed in the magazine ‘Art et Decoration’, and he later proclaimed them ‘the first serious fashion photographs ever made.’
Vogue hired who was considered the first fashion photographers, launching his career :
Baron Adolphe de Meyer – hired in 1913 by Conde Nast to take some experimental shots for vogue. His most famous traits was his use of soft-lenses and backlighting his photos. His photos for fashion were mainly based on models in clothes they already owned, as well as photos of actresses and actors.
1920-30s
Surrealism had a large impact on fashion magazines, paintings by Salvador Dali and Giorgio de Chirico featured in vogue alongside avant-garde photographers adopted their revolutionary principles attempting to give visual expression to the unconscious mind. New techniques and unexpected juxtapositions were used to challenge perceptions of reality, to amuse and to disturb. Such bold experiments angered Vogue editor Edna Woolman Chase, who wrote angrily to her staff in 1938 ‘Concentrate completely on showing the dress, light it for this purpose and if that can’t be done with art then art be damned. Show the dress.’
1930
The demand for editorial content in magazines began to increase. This was the catalyst towards the evolution of photography. Steichen during this time also became the highest paid fashion photographer whilst he was working for both vanity fair and vogue.
Till the 30s Paris was considered the centre of fashion and fashion photography, it attracted photographers such as Horst P. Horst and George Hoyningen-Huene, both of whom were introduced by vogue.
George Hoyningen-Huene – inspired a generation, his own work reflected a painterly fascination with light, shade, and classical forms.
Horst P. Horst – Hoyningen-Huene’s protégé, produced similarly inventive images, fusing surreal and classical motifs.
Edward Steichen – immortalized Greta Garbo
Cecil Beaton – worked for vanity fair and vogue, won an Oscar for Audrey Hepburn’s costumes in my fair lady
Martin Mukancsi – first to introduce movement into fashion photography, and the first to work primarily outside the studio. ‘Never pose your subjects. Let them move about naturally. All great photographs today are snapshots’. This new cinematic vision was vigorously promoted by the powerful art directors Alexey Brodovitch at Harper’s Bazaar and Alexander Liberman at Vogue.
Louise Dahl-Wolf – first to bring natural light into fashion photography, to choose exotic locations and be a pioneer of colours
Post ww2
During ww2, ‘make do and mend’ was the prevailing approach to fashion, as the world slowly recovered from the horrors of war, a fresh cohort of designers emerged. The desire to embrace glamour and femininity after years of war prevailed, and the most extreme works came in the form of Christian Dior’s New Look, launched in 1947, with nipped in waists and extravagantly full skirts.
The elegant and sensual vision of photographer Lillian Bassman complemented the new fashions. She pioneered an approach in which evoking a mood took precedence over depicting the details of the clothes. Bassman’s grainy images frustrated Harper’s Bazaar editor Carmel Snow, who warned her in 1949, ‘You are not here to make art, you are here to show the buttons and bows’ Erwin Blumenfeld also pushed the boundaries of experimental fashion photography. He favoured Kodachrome colour film, which enabled his vivid images to leap from the magazine page.
1951 – fashion photography was taken in a brand-new direction. Richard Avedon made this huge change due to his modernistic style which put an end to the more classic style and it made a large effect of fashion photography.
Photographers such as:
Irving Penn – became famous for his portraits, such as his wife Lisa Fonssagrives. His photography is recognisable due to his photos having a very classic style. Had the longest tenure in the history of vogue magazine, saw his role as ‘selling dreams, not clothes’
Richard Avedon – 1957, he photographed a model striding along the Place Francois-Premier in Paris for American Harper’s Bazaar. He tilted the photograph in Homage to Munkacsi, of whom deeply influenced Avedon. Resulting in him working for Harper’s Bazaar, vogue and look. famous for very personal style of photography, but also for the portraits he made of famous artists, actors and of his father. His most famous fashion photograph is that of the model Dovima with the elephants, where she is portrayed with a Dior dress on (1955)
Norman Parkinson - worked for London vogue and was the first to shoot outdoors in the streets of his city, ‘a photographer without a magazine behind him is like a farmer without fields’
and many more were all introduced to this world
50-60s
The structured formality of the 1950s designs gave way to a more youthful look and the body was liberated from constricting undergarments and corsetry. New designers and photographers emerged, their work showcased in magazines such as Queen (relaunched 1957) and Nova (launched 1965).
Italian fashion style began to be known over the world, the main fashion centres included Napoli Milan and Rome. Milan was more important due to it being the location of fashion publishing. It was also the years when a new type of model emerged. Models became icons and their faces began to be recognised by everyone. The first to become famous were twiggy (photographed by Avedon) and Jean Shrimpton.
Photographers which inaugurated this tendence included:
David Bailey – Employed to revamp the ‘Young Idea’ section of British vogue. Has a Documentary approach to his work, and much like other photographers at the time, turned teenage models such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton into international stars. The embodiment of Swinging London, the mood was captured in Michelangelo Antonioni’s film ‘Blowup’ (1966). Famous due to his portraits of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Andy Warhol, and Catherine Deneuve. Described a fashion photograph simply as ‘a portrait of someone wearing a dress’. His work shows the transformative power of the camera lens.
Terence Donovan – Worked in London for both masculine and feminine fashion, used innovative locations and techniques. Set the trend for positioning fashion models in stark and gritty urban environments and he often had the models adapt adventurous poses.
Brian Duffy – Famous for his portrait and fashion photography
Together they created the visual component of the so called ‘Swinging London’ Party, have fun, ambitions and make love. The 60s was an explosion of forms, colours and hippy styles, fashion evolved towards practicality, with the invention of jeans.
1966 onwards, exotic fabrics clashing patterns and colours were boldly combined. Penelope Tree’s unconventional looks made her the ideal model for the hippy fashions popular in the latter part of the decade.
70-80s
In the 70s, photographers continued to test the limits of acceptable fashion imagery. They engaged with society’s changing attitudes towards femininity and sexuality, and the potentially controversial themes of religion and violence often informed their work.
The notion of ideal beauty broadened in mainstream magazines with the more regular use of black and androgynous models. Deborah Turbeville and Sarah Moon were both former models and their engagement with the female form was distinct from that of their male counterparts. Their contemplative images provided female perspectives on the themes of beauty and sexual objectification.
A time of liberation, was very much reflected in the fashion photographs from that era. This era was all about pushing boundaries and challenging traditions as the models become more uninhibited. Helmut Newton became the renowned photographer during this time. Taking risqué and experimental photographs on the streets, in hotels etc.
Most important names of these years included
Helmut Newton - presented an aggressive and erotic image of women, while always keeping an ironic tone.
Sarah Moon – considered the first impressionist in the world of fashion photography
The pret-a-porter exploded. Fashion became a real industry for a wider public and we assist to the multiplication of magazines and advertisings.
Herb Ritts – photographed CK, Versace and Armani collections, also famous for his Richard Gere’s portraits
Gian Paolo Barbieri – signed the first vogue cover of the Italian edition in 1965, made numerous campaign for Valentino, Armani, Ferre, and Versace. He created darkly provocative images, which focused less on garments and more on the character of women beneath. (Guy Bourdin also took part in this style)
80s
New style publications aimed at both sexes emerged as a counterpoint to the airbrushed perfection of the major glossy magazines. They featured articles on modern music, culture and emerging trends at the time. The pages populated with figures representing alternative types of beauty who were often not professional models.
Portraits by Steve Johnson of punks and New Wave youth appeared in i-D magazine. The images became known as ‘straight ups’ as they showed the figure in full. The approach garnered many imitators, keen to capture personal and innovative street fashion.
90s
The shabby and minimalistic style explodes, In America appeared the term ‘heroin chic’ which referred to the phenomenon of photographing pale and emaciated models. An example could be the Ck campaign with Kate Moss as Protagonist and Mario Sorrenti as photographer.
Leading exponents of this naturalistic documentary approach to fashion photography included Corinne Day, David Sims, Craig McDean and Jason Evans. The centre of their work lay an interest in everyday life and real people, individuality and uniqueness was celebrated.
Modern day
Today the world of fashion photography is too wide to try to make a synthesis. However, it has become a massive success whether in the context of commercialism or art it is in high demand. The borders between art, fashion photography and commercials are fading. Fashion photography has never existed in a vacuum, photographers have continually pushed boundaries, and the tension between artistic and commercial demands has generated creativity and technical innovation. Fashion shoots or advertisements, both types of images reflect contemporary culture, world events, and the dramatic shifts in women’s roles throughout the 20th century.
The most dazzling fashion photography in present day are rich with colourful and poetic narratives, big budgets, set designers and multiple stylists are employed to create elaborate fantasies. Photographer Miles Aldridge describes the process alike to making a film ‘If the world were pretty enough, I’d shoot on location all the time. But the world is just not being designed with aesthetics as a priority. What I’m trying to do is take something from real life and reconstruct it in a cinematic way … condensed emotion, condensed colour, condensed light.’
Similar to how fashion designers reinvent and recycle the trends of decades’ past, photographers do just the same by looking to their forebears for inspiration. Tim Walker conjures a whimsical technicolour England, inspired by the early work of Cecil Beaton. The past century has shown the evolution of women’s fashion, dominating magazines and stores, however, in recent years more publications have been aimed towards male readers.
