Fashion & Style Photography Spotlight: Richard Avedon

By Paige McKirahan

To get off ground the launch of our new photography-focused column, we have elected to spotlight Richard Avedon to kick off the new year! As an American fashion and portrait photographer who was best known for flawlessly capturing his subject’s personalities, he shot over 148 Vogue covers throughout his prestigious career. With humble beginnings as a photographer for the Marines during World War II, he then moved on to become a quintessential photographer at Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and The New Yorker. Born in 1923, this New York City native’s meticulous eye for detail and great ability to convey emotions through photography landed him the position as one of legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland’s staff photographers. Her wild visions and eccentric fashion stories were given a new life under Avedon, and his position in the fashion world was secured with her approval. Though most of his work was created before the our current century, his piece's iconic compositions and notable subjects have allowed them to survive the tests of time. Wondering where you have seen his work? He produced a Calvin Klein campaign with 15-year-old Brooke Shields, Revlon’s ‘The Most Unforgettable Women’ campaign, and an advertisement series for Gianni Versace beginning with the spring/summer campaign 1980.

Sources:

Hardy, U. (2016, April 04). 10 Iconic Fashion Photographers. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/10-iconic-fashion-photographers/