Fashion photography is one of the most aesthetic and creative fields in photography. From capturing the stunning clothes donned by beautiful models, and showcasing the clothes and accessories from different angles, fashion photography is a field that seems too glamorous to be real. From the top fashion photographers gathered at Paris during Fashion Week to the photo studios trying to sell the clothes and accessories of their brands and clients, fashion photography in itself is a diverse field, with numerous niches like street fashion, haute couture, beachwear, and many more. The ingenuity required to portray clothes as making the wearer fit in and yet stand out in the crowd and surroundings is the spirit of fashion photography.
To all those curious about the glamorous industry of fashion photography, here are ten amazing facts on the same to delight your mind.
- As The Result Of A Dare: Edward Steichen is the pioneer and father of modern fashion photography. He played a key role in promoting fashion through the art of fashion photography. He is still widely regarded as the leading name in modern photography.
- Integration Of the Outdoors: The era of Steichen was all about the still, lifeless postures of models confined in studios during the shot. Richard Avedon, a student of the Design Laboratory, however, brought in a new trend that lives on to this day: movement. Avedon incorporated the bold settings of crowded streets and parties to add flair to the photograph. It was an amalgamation of fashion and daily life, and how one complements the other.
- Le Mode Practique: Le Mode Pratique was the first fashion magazine in the world. It featured women shot in various angles within a studio all in the latest fashions of their time.
- The First Fashion Photograph: Adolphe Braun took the first fashion photograph in 1856 of a pretty woman wearing beautiful clothes. This photograph led to the creation of the fashion photography industry as we know of it today.
- The Big Four of Fashion Week: In modern times, the highlight of the year in fashion is Fashion Week. Fashion Week gives all fashion photographers a chance to capture the stunning designs and creative new collections of the fashion world in one place. This event goes on in four cities across the world in the particular order of New York, London, Milan and Paris. Each of the Big Four is known for celebrating the different styles and genres of fashion-New York for sportswear; London for contemporary, avant-garde design; Milan for its over-the-top yet elegant looks; and Paris for designer wear, and haute couture.
- Where Fashion Week Began: New York Fashion Week is the world’s oldest fashion week location, inaugurated in 1943 by fashion publicist Elenor Lamber, who wanted to give American designers a platform to promote their work and divert attention away from fashion-stalwart Paris. London is the latest addition to the big four.
- Runway Shows: When the whole event is being glamorised by fashion photography and the fashion design industry, one would assume that the main runway shows that display latest designs would last for an hour. However, these runway shows only go on for up to 15-20 minutes, even if the waiting time for the show can go up to two hours. This only goes to show that the work of all those designers, stylists, makeup artists, and photographers culminate in a runway show of about a quarter an hour.
- Model’s Payment: Most models at NY Fashion Week only make a few hundred dollars per show. These are usually the models who have not yet attained celebrity status. Many novice models may also take part in a runway presentation for publicity or clothes exchange. This is especially growing in NY and secondary markets such as LA and Miami. Huge bucks are typically reserved for top models and runway shows in London, Milan, and Paris. In comparison, female models also make twice as much money as males.
- Lesser-Known Fashion Weeks: Although fashion weeks are primarily held in NYC, London, Milan, and Paris, there are reportedly 40 fashion weeks in the world. Other big US cities that have hopped aboard the fashion week train include LA, Boston, Miami, Chicago, Charleston, and others.
- September 2001: The 9/11 terrorist attacks took place on what was meant to be the fourth day of New York Fashion Week. After the motherhood designer Liz Lange, 9 am the runway shows which was the first time a maternity line has been presented at Fashion Week all remaining activities were postponed. That was the first time any fashion week has been cancelled.
We hope that this list of facts has been engaging and piqued the interest of all fashion photography enthusiasts.
