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The eyes of great photographers: how to make a fashion photography iconic?

Initially limited to a commercial vocation, fashion photography acquired its letters of nobility and can be found today in museums and art galleries. A fashion photograph, originally taken to sell a product, can therefore be considered a work of art. This consecration is due to several factors. The photographer must have acquired significant renown and the photography must be iconic.

The iconic character of a photograph can come from its historical value. Indeed, the first fashion photographs, taken by pioneers like Adolf de MEYER (1868-1946), were invaluable. These are the beginnings of this photographic genre which has grown steadily.

Adolf de MEYER, 1918

It can also come from the subversive nature of fashion photography. Indeed, the purpose of fashion photos is to sell a product. So photographers usually decide to portray current social trends in order to get audiences to buy into the brand image.
They can, however, choose a staging that goes against social expectations. This then allows photography to stand out and make people talk about it. Photographers can also choose provocation to provoke

Guy BOURDIN (1928-1991)

Likewise, although the principle of fashion photography is commercial, photographers have the leisure to express an artistic vision. Thus, a photograph can become iconic because of its strong visual identity and its aesthetic power. These artistic photographs are constantly revolutionizing fashion photography. By telling stories in their staging, fashion photographers enable their photos to attain the status of work of art.

Ormond GIGLI, Girls in the windows, New-York, 1960
GIRLS IN THE WINDOWS, NEW-YORK

GIRLS IN THE WINDOWS, NEW-YORK

Ormond GIGLI - 1960
OLGA - PIERRE CARDIN - BROWN

OLGA - PIERRE CARDIN - BROWN

Jean-Daniel LORIEUX - 1972
GIRL IN THE LIGHT

GIRL IN THE LIGHT

Jean-Daniel LORIEUX - 1967