This image is of Dovima with Elephants taken by Richard Avedon in Paris of 1955. What I found was interesting about this image is how the highest paid model of this time, Dovima, is pictured here in an exquisite Dior dress in front of chained-up elephants. Avedon conveys this sense of graceful youth and freedom in contrast to the wrinkled and tough exterior of the restless beasts behind her. It relates to my design work because it comments on this idea of age and how youth is prized in fashion.
During the 1920s, Man Ray, a famous avant-garde artist and photographer, shot fashion photography as a means to earn an income for his personal art. While he shot many of these photos, one of his most prominent portraits was of Peggy Guggenheim wearing a Paul Poiret dress in 1927. The allure of this photo is how Man Ray captures Guggenheim posed in a goddess/statuesque manner and how the light gently seeps through the dress to reveal her legs. This image immortalizes both of them, Poiret’s gown and Peggy Guggenheim’s prestige, as celebrity entities. This photos relationship with my own design work is how Man Ray was able to capture the feeling of a relaxed silhouette while inserting his own artistic tastes at the same time.
This is a photo of my mother in mid-1997 while she was pregnant with me, taken by her friend on a trip to a rural area of China. What’s interesting about this photo is the small details of her outfit in contrast to the natural and ancient scenery of the landscape behind her. Her wearing a two-piece suit with its extreme shoulder pads with a leather purse makes her stand out in a terrain that would usually call for clothing suited for comfort and utility. The silhouette is pretty Western in style and her short hair also challenges traditional perceptions of femininity. The way she styles herself speaks to my design philosophies.
Great choices! Focus on the first image, if that’s your preferred choice – maybe think not just about the model and the dress, but also Richard Avedon, as you mention, since he is considered to be one of the most important fashion photographers of the 20th century.