Fashion photography is a genre of photography that appeared with the invention of photography in the 19th century. It is about capturing clothes or beauty accessories through photography. These are worn by models or personalities who put them forward.
The notion of "fashion" refers to the way of dressing in a specific place, at a given time. It refers to all clothing movements which are by nature changing. Fashion photographs capture these states and highlight the sartorial trends adopted by a society at a given time. In fact, fashion photos usually show the avant-garde of fashion. These are photographs that highlight the new trends to adopt, chosen by the couture houses.
Fashion photography is a particular genre of photography since it has a commercial vocation. Indeed, a fashion photograph aims to highlight a fashion product in order to encourage its sale. By original staging and involving models or stars, these photos should make the public want to buy an item. So these are not just photographs taken as part of an artistic project. These photographs must meet a commercial imperative. If the product does not sell well, the photograph has not served its purpose.
However, this does not prevent photographers from expressing themselves artistically and telling stories in their photographs.