Fashion and photography have been around for a very long time. Now, fashion photography had only started in the 19th century with the first model Virginia Oldoini. It has evolved through time due to new technology but the vintage fashion photography is still our favorite. Here is a selection of five famous fashion photographs in history. Trust me it was very hard to decide.
1.Willy Maywald for Christian Dior’s “New Look”, 1947
Model wearing the iconic Dior New Look/ ©Vogue
This emblematic photograph represented a new Era: the “New Look” from Christian Dior in the second half of 1940’s. The New Look redefined women’s silhouettes: with emphasized hips and breasts. This is exactly what women needed after World War II, a new style. Willy Maywald captured perfectly well the feeling of freedom and sophistication that Dior is so famous for.
2.Erwin Blumenfeld shooting the Vogue January Cover, 1950
January Vogue Cover 1950/ ©JeanPatchett.com
This famous photograph shot by Erwin Blumenfeld has been one of the most memorable Vogue covers of all time. The photographer used fierce light to erase the features of Jean Patchett leaving only an eye, a mouth, a beauty spot and an eyebrow. This cover became an icon because it is revealing simple beauty: the highlights of the model’s face and it also helped create the “Doe Eye” look.
3.Richard Avedon, Dovima with Elephants, 1955
Dovima with the Elephants/ ©iconic photos
This beautiful photo was taken by Richard Avedon is 1955 in Paris. The model, Dovima, is wearing a Dior dress and as you can see is standing between circus elephants. The reason was to portray a striking contrast between the beauty and the beast. This picture is one of the most famous pictures of all time.
4. Helmut Newton for Yves Saint Laurent, 1975
Le Smoking created by Yves Saint Laurent / ©icon icon
Le Smoking is an iconic style Yves Saint Laurent developed. Helmut Newton had a difficult task to accomplish in order to represent perfectly well the style of Yves. The shoot took place in a small street of Paris and the idea behind the photograph was simple: a masculine woman, androgynous and in a Parisian style. The end result is incredibly powerful. The model is strong, the smoking gives her power, and she has a confident posture. The image is so realistic and striking because Helmut Newton shot it at night, only using the light from the street lamps. This photo was then published in Vogue Paris in 1975.
5. Annie Leibovitz shooting Caitlin Jenner on Vanity Fair cover, 2015
“Call me Caitlyn” Vanity Fair cover / ©Vanity Fair
The Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner spoke about her transition to become a woman for the very first time with Diane Sawyer. A few days later, Bruce Jenner revealed his new identity and appeared as Caitlyn Jenner on the front cover of Vanity Fair. The image shot by Annie Leibovitz immediately created a buzz on social media. A poignant article then followed this sensation, revealing the new Caitlyn Jenner.
Written by Emilie Heyl
IFA Fashion Blog 