A Fresh Look at Fashion Photography at Saatchi Gallery
Get ready for a visual feast this summer as Saatchi Gallery opens its latest exhibition, “Beyond Fashion,” on May 31, 2024. This exciting showcase dives deep into the world of fashion photography, featuring the works of top photographers from around the globe. It’s not just about clothes on models; it’s about telling stories, reflecting our lives, and pushing creative boundaries.
Curated by Nathalie Herschdorfer, the director of Photo Elysée in Lausanne, Switzerland, and produced by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, “Beyond Fashion” includes over 100 stunning photos from 48 renowned photographers. Expect to see iconic names like Nick Knight, Peter Lindbergh, Viviane Sassen, Paolo Roversi, Miles Aldridge, and Ellen von Unwerth, alongside fresh talent making waves in the fashion world. This exhibition celebrates their innovative vision, showing how fashion photography has evolved into a powerful visual language.
Timed perfectly with the 40th anniversary of London Fashion Week, “Beyond Fashion” is a tribute to the creative minds driving the fashion industry forward. The exhibition is divided into four main sections: allure, showcasing timeless beauty; fantasy, highlighting the imaginative and inventive spirit of fashion photography; realism, featuring street photography’s intersection with fashion; and surrealism, presenting transformative, imaginative works by the new generation of photographers.
Visitors will be transported from sleek studio settings to the raw energy of street photography, experiencing the vast range of styles in fashion photography. The exhibition includes iconic images and famous faces from classic Vogue covers to quirky shots like Victoria Beckham’s legs in a Marc Jacobs shopping bag. You’ll see supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Christy Turlington, along with top designers like Christian Dior, Commes des Garçons, Alexander McQueen, and Valentino, plus street style icon The Sartorialist.
A standout feature is a section dedicated to moving images, underlining the role of film in fashion today. This part showcases works from Showstudio, the brainchild of Nick Knight, who was one of the first to embrace digital film for fashion. Showstudio has been a trailblazer, showing how fashion can be presented online in innovative ways and pioneering the fashion film genre.
The exhibition wraps up with a unique installation called “Under Your Smell.” This project invites you to engage with fashion imagery in a whole new way. Students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne have created visual stories inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier’s perfumes, turning scents into fantastical photo narratives.
Curator Nathalie Herschdorfer emphasizes the transformation of fashion photography: “At one time, fashion photography was perceived as limited to its commercial use. With the explosion of the internet and social media, it’s become a broader visual language that mixes editorial, advertising, and art. Now, it’s recognized as an art form in its own right, attracting attention from museums, galleries, auction houses, and publishers.”
Paul Foster, director of Saatchi Gallery, adds: “Fashion has always been about more than just clothes. It’s about expression and creativity. This exhibition shows how fashion photography continues to evolve, capturing and shaping our culture in new and exciting ways.”
Beyond Fashion also emphasizes how color ties the entire exhibition together, creating a pop art-like presence with perfectly composed images. Even the gallery walls are painted in bright hues, making the experience engaging and vibrant, far from your typical gallery setting.
If you want to see some of the world’s best fashion photography, this is it. “Beyond Fashion” showcases over 100 photographs by 48 photographers, featuring some of the most creative work out there, showing how the medium does much more than just sell handbags. It’s a contemporary snapshot of fashion photography, featuring bold, attention-grabbing work that feels very 2024 and very social media savvy. But fashion photography can also be quiet and profound, as demonstrated by the works of Paolo Roversi.
“Beyond Fashion” is a must-see for anyone interested in the crossroads of art, fashion, and culture. It’s a celebration of how fashion photography has grown into a dynamic and influential art form. The exhibition runs until September 8, 2024.
