The art of collaboration is something that has been done time and time again in the fashion world, while it is done so frequently, it is always welcomed and anticipated when it is between brands and designers. However, the exceptional skill and creativity of fashion’s most iconic photographers usually goes unrecognised to the general public, despite their profound effect in shaping each and every fashion campaign the world lays their eyes on. A designer’s garments and their desired image or narrative can only be portrayed if a photographer showcases them in a manner that is engaging and thought-provoking. While the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” might be overused and cliché, it is undeniably true that photography is a testament to the power of visual story-telling, which is a significant facet of high fashion.
That being said, many designers have ensued the help of photographers to breathe life into their garments through various factors like posing, lighting and backdrop amongst many others. For a designer to portray the desired image of the brand or their narrative, a well-suited photographer is crucial. Fashion photographers take tangible objects and translate them into intangible responses to paint a greater, more meaningful picture in order to generate desire for the clothing and portray a certain image for the brand. Therein lies the beauty of creative alliances between designers and photographers, where artistic visions collide and history is made. LUXUO explores fashion’s most prominent designer-photographer pairings, from Gianni Versace and Richard Avedon to Raf Simmons and Willy Vanderperre.
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Gianni Versace and Richard Avedon
The late Richard Avedon was undeniably influential in the fashion world, having shot with celebrity icons such as The Beatles, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. He was widely celebrated for blurring the line between art and commercial photography, capturing models in motion as opposed to the stagnant image of high fashion during that time. The photographer had a long-standing relationship with Gianni Versace, producing the brand’s advertising campaigns for almost 20 years from 1979 to 1998. Avedon’s collaborative work with the flamboyant and eclectic designer was a perfect match. He captured models decked in glamorous Versace ensembles yet unrestricted in movement and exuding a sense of freedom and fun. The sense of dynamism and vibrant energy created spontaneity and empowerment through depictions of dynamic women in motion that transcended traditional norms of the time.
The power duo came to realise their own aesthetic, influenced by each other’s unrestricted passion and creativity, the pair’s interpretation of fashionable females breathed life into high-fashion ensembles with with a glimpse of fun and youthfulness. The then-normal expectation of models were presented as a stiff doll-like mannequin, so as to maintain the sophistication and class of the typical high-fashion wearer. What made the pair so revolutionary was the stark contrast of traditional norms and their work, that presented women as multi-dimensional beings, rife with elements of unrestricted personality and freedom. The dynamic characteristics of the creative collaboration between Gianni Versace and Richard Avedon cemented the fashion fantasy that came to define the empowered feminine image of Versace that is forever ingrained in fashion history.
John Galliano and Nick Knight
The power duo of iconic designer John Galliano and British photographer Nick Knight is one of the most revolutionary and influential designer-photographer pairings of the fashion world. For fashion enthusiasts, John Gallino’s Dior in the early 2000s while controversial, is impossible to forget. Gallino’s work alluded to a sense of rebellion against the norm of stiff and restrictive high fashion with his fantastical creations presented as a maximalist spectacle. Known for his knack in story-telling through his garments, the work was edgy, chaotic and rogue yet stunningly advant garde, theatrical and ultimately successful. Knight’s work, while being advant garde, was rooted in classical arts, often drawing inspiration from conventional ideals and reinventing them.
The collaboration of the two powerhouses over two decades was the ultimate display of boundless creativity with their shared love of challenging norms. Their creative alliance continued with Gallino’s time at Maison Margiela, which was arguably even more fitting. Knight had not only shot campaigns but also revamped the house’s e-commerce site, alongside filmmaker Britt Lloyd. Dubbed as “e-art” by Knight, the site captured Galliano and Knight’s shared view of fashion as the ultimate fantasy. “The business of buying clothes should be about desire and lust,” explained Knight. Additionally, both viewed the static imagery on most e-commerce sites “uninspiring in its intentions and undoubtedly purposeful” as stated in SHOWstudio. The creative relationship of Galliano and Knight had become revolutionary in their shared passion for portraying fashion in the most whimsical and romantic ways possible.
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Alessandro Michele and Glen Luchford
British photographer Glen Luchford is a highly celebrated figure in the fashion world and is often credited for transforming Gucci’s visual narrative created by then-creative director, Alessandro Michele. Michele’s Gucci was undeniably successful, with the first quarter of his under his creative leadership resulting in a 51% revenue increase. His style had an extremely distinct vintage style, with inclusivity and genderless fashion at the forefront of the brand — and longtime collaborator Glen Luchford was the perfect photographer to showcase this. Luchford is well-known for pioneering the use of cinematic lighting in fashion photography. This allowed him to play a pivotal role in the rebranding of Gucci in capturing Michele’s desire to depart from Gucci’s previous overly sexualised image and adapt to historical codes of the house. The cinematic quality of each Michele-Luchford campaign captured the allure and timelessness of the Italian heritage aesthetic.
Marc Jacobs and Jurgen Teller
Jurgen Teller is one of fashion’s most iconic photographers, known for his distinct style in capturing his subjects candidly in everyday or simple locations. Teller and Marc Jacobs’ long-standing and successful partnership has been going-strong for almost two decades, with Teller creating Marc Jacobs campaigns for 14 years straight. The pair had met before making it big in each of their fields, largely crediting each other for driving creativity and confidence in each other. The revolutionary duo’s work was characterised by their playful style and a sense of rebellion from the conventional studio lights and model poses. As explained in an interview with independant, Teller places significant focus on capturing the energy of his subject, rather than a static product they wear, to evoke a sense of “humanness” and personality.
Additionally, Jacobs’ love for ensuing the help of a wide variety of stars from 90s fashion icons like Pamela Anderson to viral stars like Alex Consani to front his campaigns, allows the story-telling aspect to unfold organically as opposed to the overly curated appearance to conventional campaigns. The creative alliance of Teller and Jacobs truly embraced the “come-as-you-are” style in an industry of intricately tailored fashion campaigns, a relatable and refreshing take on high-fashion.
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Raf Simons and Willy Vanderperre
Over Raf Simons’ extensive career, he has established himself as the image of daring high fashion and edgy youth culture. His creations came to life thanks to the artistic prowess of Belgian photographer Willy Vanderperre and his skill in creating art with minimalistic cerebral imagery. The pair’s 20-year-long creative alliance had become iconic in exploring the themes of dark romanticism, youth and the rebellion against the softness and elegance of high fashion. Vanderperre often drew inspiration from his rural home area, creating his art through the eyes of the isolated youth to capture “past-present urgency and neo-nostalgia for the future”. This suitably meshed with Simons’ designs, creating a partnership that would be significantly prominent and influential in the fashion world. The pair collaborated from Simons’ first collection in 1994 to his last in 2022 — needless to say, the effortless alignment between their artistry and thought-provoking creations is forever ingrained in fashion history.
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