Fashion Photography Power Duos
The most influential photography couples of the fashion industry right now.
photo collage by Katerina Stamatopoulou, 2018.
Fashion photography, whether in print or online, will always capture humans’ attention and create emotions. Since its earliest days and the invention of photography at the beginning of the 19thcentury, fashion photography expressed the photographer’s vision about style, attitude, makeup, story of the subjects, lifestyle and in this way it attracted the attention of the viewers.
During its long history, there have been many photographers who have served this creative means of fashion as art. From legends like Horst P. Horst and Cecil Beaton to Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin who inspired more recent ones like Steven Meisel and Peter Lindbergh.
But, apart from the solo artists of fashion photography, there are also some couples who, through their creative mood and love for this magical world, create unique photos together that leave their mark. Such, photography couples are the ‘Power Duos’ of Fashion Photography.
PORTER magazine, Issue 2, 2014 (inezandvinoodh.com)
TOM FORD RTW, FW2016 (inezandvinoodh.com)
VOGUE March 2017 (inezandvinoodh.com)
Inez & Vinoodh
Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin have been working together since 1986. The power duo from the Netherlands met as students at the Amsterdam Fashion Academy in the 1980s. They collaborated for the first time when Matadin, then fashion designer, was looking for a photographer for his lookbook. From then on, they not only became photographic partners, but they also became partners in life.
They have been digital photography pioneers, and they have invented their own personal style. YSL, Balmain, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and many other houses have collaborated with them for their campaigns. Their award-winning work appears in countless fashion magazines; Vogue, Vogue Italia, W, Visionaire, Vanity Fair, and Harper’s Bazaar to name a few.
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Mert Alas, INTERVIEW magazine, 2014 (interviewmagazine.com)
Mert & Marcus, Calvin Klein Underwear, 2015.
Mert & Marcus, LOVE magazine, 2013 (thelovemagazine.co.uk)
Mert & Marcus
Born in the same year, but in different countries with very different cultures. Mert Alas was born in Istanbul, Turkey, and Marcus Piggott was born in Wales, UK.
They first met in 1994 in England while Piggott’s was a photographer’s assistant and Alas was a fashion model. They worked together a couple of times, and in 1999 they decided to join forces.
The strong use of color brought by Alas’s Turkish heritage and Piggott’s expertise in art and antiques create a unique, highly polished, hyperreal fantasy outcome. They have worked for numerous fashion and beauty houses such as Lancome, Missoni, and Fendi. Also, Vogue Paris, Love Magazine, and The Gentlewoman are some of the magazines that have hosted many of Mert and Marcus’ photos on their pages.
Cattelan & Ferrari, KENZO FW2013 (toiletpapermagine.org)
Cattelan & Ferrari, NEW YORK magazine, August 2017 (toiletpapermagazine.org)
Cattelan & Ferrari, KENZO FW2014 (toiletpapermagine.org)
Maurizio Cattelan & Pierpaolo Ferrari
“We would like to evoke familiarity and disgust at the same time. We desire to bring seemingly normal situations to their very extreme”, says the provocative Italian photographic couple during an interview with Dazed and Confused. Cattelan is a contemporary artist and Ferrari is the photographer of this multi-tasking duo, who are also the founders of the biannual magazine Toiletpaper. They are more well-known for Kenzo’s surreal campaigns and their longstanding collaboration with MGSM.
Their breaking-down-the-rules-of-beauty and cheeky work have made appearances in fashion magazines such as W, New York Magazine, Vogue, Elle, and Dazed&Confused.
Living In The Echo Of Paris Haute Couture Week 2018
The Paris Haute Couture Week finished only two weeks ago but we have a lot of things to remember..
New York Fashion Week commenced February 18th, but Paris Haute Couture Spring Summer 2018 still lingers on the minds of everyone in the fashion world. A lot of things happened and once more Paris, La Ville Lumière (The City of Light), has been able to demonstrate that it can draw attention not just for the breath-taking and skillfully designed clothes that are presented in every Paris Fashion Week.
A new exhibition pays tribute to the late fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa, who passed away last November. The 41 dresses that are displayed are a short fashion design journey over time. The “Je suis couturier” exhibition runs until June 10th, 2018 at 18 rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris.
Jean Paul Gaultier, l’enfant terrible, paid homage to Pierre Cardin, the fashion house where he started his career as a designer. The collection was a marriage of Cardin’s futuristic style and Gaultier’s provocative design. But, what stole the show was when Coco Rocha took the runway with her two-year-old daughter, Ioni Conran. A new girl comes in town, and Couture is now more adorable than ever.
After Dior’s surrealistic inspired collection at the Musèe Rodin, a masquerade party took place where all guests were dressed in their tuxedos, gowns and their playful face masks.
Smartphones have ruled the front row of the fashion shows, and so John Galliano took advantage of this ‘reality’ for his latest haute couture collection for Maison Margiela. A special holographic fabric was used in most pieces of the collection. When the viewer took a photo with flash, the fabric transformed from black nylon to a shimmering holographic panel. Enough psychedelic to prove that haute couture can be modern, too.
Ornate hats used to be the hallmark of haute couture several years ago. For this season, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino’s creative director, utilized for the first-time hats that were created by the British hatter, Philip Treacy.
Fancy feathered hats in bright colors adorned models’ heads. Despite the old extravagant look, there was a modern spirit in the collection. Wearing a tank top and a pair of chinos with a huge feathered hat is a powerful statement.
Paris Haute Couture Week was a true tour through the Parisian museums. Sometimes, it was like visiting the Louvre and Centre Georges Pompidou at the same time.
