Fashion, when not falling under the category of Anna Wintour鈥檚 “dirty word” trend, can be iconic and timeless. Even more timeless than the high-end garments themselves are the photographs taken to capture their elegance. Fashion photography has been evolving over the past 100 years, and Mayfair鈥檚 is currently shining light on the genre鈥檚 masterpieces in a preview for a few short days before opening the official exhibition across its 35 galleries around the world.
Both previously published and a selection of unpublished limited edition photographs are on display mostly on the gallery鈥檚 lower level, featuring pieces by modern fashion photographers such as Arthur Elgort alongside predecessors Edward Steichen and Cecil Beaton. Here, many photographs from the Vogue archives are presented oversized within a fine art framework. Horst P. Horst鈥檚 iconic Balance shot is a stand-out and Financial Times fashion editor Jo Ellison noted, during her introduction at the preview evening, that the image graced the cover of Vogue, the red ball becoming the “O” of the magazine title.,
A favourite, Bathers by George Hoyningen-Huene is also on display. It is a captivating yet simple composition produced not by poolside as one would suspect, but within the studio. The photograph, modern for its day, reads with the contemporary aesthetic of today鈥檚 visual culture. Additionally, Bert Stern鈥檚 black and white portrait of French film actress Anouk Aim茅e and Edward Steichen鈥檚 veiled portrayal of Gloria Swanson make for a nice juxtaposition with Arthur Elgort鈥檚 sunny and very 1990s snaps of bikini-clad Kate Moss and Stern鈥檚 colorful iconic photograph of Twiggy.
Compositionally sound with saturated palettes, Louise Dahl-Wolfe’s Red Parasol and Sante Forlano’s New York City Girls create the ultimate commercial allure. The array of works on show spans vintage to contemporary, exotic getaways to city streets, black and white glamour to pop-culture vibrancy. The hand-selected showcase from the Conde Nast collection is worth catching a glimpse while represented in this context, and it鈥檚 not far from Vogue House itself.
Masterpieces of Fashion Photography, 25-29 March, , 57 South Molton Street, London, W1K 5SJ
Ashton Chandler Guyatt
Credits
1. Dry Martini 漏 Karen Radkai, VOGUE Archive Collection, www.lumas.co.uk.
