I love this style…. John French was an iconic Fashion Photographer in the 1950′s and 1960′s. London based he photographed the most famous people of the time. His stunning images appeared in virtually every newspaper and magazine. A Society photographer many of his subjects were famous debutants, using assistants such as David Bailey and Terence Donovan he quickly became the IT photographer of the time.
Rene Graua, Illustrator extraordinaire literally made my heart race the first time I saw his work in the Negresco in Nice.
Post WW2 two men defined French fashion, Christian Dior and his illustrator Rene Gruau, The New Look was born.
Gruau illustrated the work of Balmain, Balenciaga, Schiaparelli, and Lanvin. Turning the spirit of their creations into by the 1950’s and 60’s their brand images.
Advertising beckoned such as this ad for Air France.
This for Jean Renoir’s film CanCan.
This for the French Riveria.
Glamorous movie star images.
Why would anyone want to buy stocks and shares when you could buy these?
It is hard to pick favourites I love them all!
I feel completely overcome by the shockingly beautiful lines and spareness of composition. He was a genius.
There were exhibitions at the Paris Musée du Costume in 1989 and Musée de la Publicité in 1999. His birthplace, Rimini on the Italian Riviera, has a permanent collection in its city museum. The Fabulous Rene Gruau 1909-2004.
Henry Clarke was a great great fashion photographer of Haute Couture in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
He worked for the American, French and British Vogue Magazine from 1950 to the late 70′s and was the photographer on major fashion shoots for the magazines.
Born in Los Angeles in 1918, Henry Clarke, the renowned fashion photographer, discovered his calling in 1945 whilst working as an accessorist at Condé Nast in New York.
During an encounter with the great Cecil Beaton during a photography session at Vogue’s studio, Clarke was entranced by the photographic image. He promptly abandoned his fashion job, borrowed a Rolleiflex camera and began taking pictures.
One of his gifts was “always making the women he photographed look beautiful.” His images were the epitome of sophistication, with wisps of veil making eyes mysterious and lens magic creating more swanlike necks than ever existed.
With the help of women like Suzy Parker, Ann Sainte Marie and Bettina, the most glamorous models of the day, Clarke captured the elegance of the modern woman: young, lively, carefree and seductive.
He also took celebrity portraits: Anna Magnani, Coco Chanel, Sophia Loren and Maria Callas were among his best known subjects.
Henry Clarke’s archives have been left to the Musee de la Mode et du Costume in Paris.
I just love these photos sizzling style….
Fabulously elegant iconic photographs.
Vogue.Co.UK Blog Hub recommends Gabrielle Teare as one of the world's most exciting fashion blogs.
