Trends in Contemporary Fashion Photography

Doina Tatu

Milan, 2012

Tattoo Culture

If back in the ’90s the God like physiques could assure the place for a model in the fashion

industry, nowadays the most important is the criteria that make him or her unique. Tattoos are

one of the characteristics that can separate a successful model from an average one. Models

like Rick Genest (known also as Zombie Boy) or Dario Tozzi that have their whole body

(including their faces) covered in ink are really wanted for edgier photo shootings right now.

Mariano Vivanco, Ryan McGinley, John Agcaoili, Aline & Jacqueline Tappia, Mary

Kuzmenkova,Hedi Slimane, Easton Schirra and Chelsea Vance are just a few names of the

photographers that are deeping in the “tattoo culture” trend.

If in the past tattoos were mainly a badge of belonging and were generally the preserve of

armed forces personnel, bikers and tribes, after shows like “Miami Ink” and “LA ink” people

started to indulge more in the getting inked trend, so you can see more and more people on

the streets with tattoos. Even though there are still some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art

is increasing its popularity in many parts of the World. Of course the obsession went into

magazines as well. People nowadays want to see originality, they are not attracted to

normality anymore. The crazier – the better! Uniqueness sells a lot and tattoos can guarantee

that this is delivered. Tattoos have left the underground and became mainstream and a easy

way to make a fashion statement.

Aline & Jacqueline Tappia Mary Kuzmenkova

Ryan McGinley

Mariano Vivanco

Easton Schirra and Chelsea Vance

John Agcaoili

HediSlimane

Ryan McGinley

Mariano Vivanco

Eating Habits

Fashion was always linked to anorexia given the skinny look of the models from the catwalks.

After entering the era of eating habits disorders, many blamed on the image of the perfect women

which is really thin created by the fashion industry, the public started a war against this perfect

dimensions-ill looking figure. The big names in fashion realized that is good for them to get on

the people’s side, so plus size models and photo shootings in which the models are eating high

calories foods started to appear.

Photographers like Terry Richardson, Juergen Teller, Sally Parker, Amber Gray, Jean-Baptiste

Fort, Shannon Skloss and Steven Klein (among others) adopted this trend.

In the pictures resulted after filtered on the “eating habits” trend you can actually see the

satisfaction on the models’ faces while they are eating foods like spaghetti, ham, steak, pizza and

other fattening dishes.

Terry Richardson

Steven Klein

Jean-Baptiste Fort

Amber Gray

Sally Parker

Terry Richardson

Shannon Skloss

Juergen Teller

Dark Fairytale

Giving that all of us grew up reading fairytales and dreaming of a fairytale-like life, the desire of

“happily ever after” was translated in the fashion language into lavish gowns and captivating

jewelry. When mixed with the edgier approach of some photographers like Annie Leibowitz,

Amber Gray, Mario Sorrenti, Larissa Kulik, Irina Istratova, Eugenio Recuenco, Mario

Parsotto, Mert & Marcus, Natalie Shau , Bruno Vilela and Anna Dobos, the fairytales become

dark.

The colors are dark but powerful calling you in this mysterious world. The feelings that this

images express are very strong, transposing you into a world of a fairytale full of evil

characters. The expressions on the models’ faces make them seem malefic. The location is

usually an open space, most likely forests that intensify the shadowy look of the story. The use

of blood is also a key element sometimes.

Annie Leibovitz

Amber Gray

Mario Sorrenti

Larissa Kulik

Irina Istratova

Eugenio Recuenco

Mario Parsotto

Mert & Marcus

Natalie Shau Anna Dobos

Bruno Vilela

Bad Boy Attitude

The rebellious look was always captivating, in real life and in fashion also. The “bad” attitude all the time held an attractiveness to people.

The “bad boy attitude” is achieved by mixing the biker look with leather, tattoos and metal accessories.

The models are typically worked up boys with God-like looks, revealing the upper part of their bodies.

Contemporary fashion photographers that approached the “bad boy attitude” trend are Steven Klein, Nick Knight, Dan Martensen, Mariano Vivanco, Michal Kar & Maciej Piorko, Zed

Daemen, Zachary Handley-Garben and Matthias Vriens-McGrath.

Nick Knight

Dan Martensen

Steven Klein

MATTHIAS VRIENS-MCGRATH Mariano Vivanco

Steven Klein

Michal Kar and Maciej Piorko Matthias V. McGrath

Michal Kar and Maciej Piorko Zed Daemen

Zachary Handley-Garben