John French is, in my opinion, the greatest Fashion photographer who ever lived (up until now at least). Last week, As I've done many times before, I used one of his photo's as a Look of the week. I described his ability to capture real elegance in one single photograph. I wanted to share his magic for once and for all. Check it out...
Time to discuss the man, behind the camera. John French, born in 1907, died in 1966, was a very well-known post-war fashion photographer. He started his career in the late 1930's but had to serve during World War II. After the war his career took a boost and his pictures defined the whole fifties-fashion era.
As I said earlier, I just love his way of photographing women in their most charming position. Of course it's not only the man behind the camera. The fashion of that era was femininity at the top, but his proficiency made it possible to capture such elegance with a camera.
John French is the man who took the most well-known fashion photo in history.
I must admit that there were many other photographers in the fifties who gave us some amazingly fashionable views, of whom Norman Parkinson is in my opinion the most revolutionary one. (He was the first to take models out of the studio's into the streets, treating us with some outstanding pictures.)
But in the end, John French was the one who re-created the real woman. During the 1920's, 30's and 40's, Fashion had to be revolutionary, it had to be comfortable. The woman had to be released from their cages of suppression full of corsets. Focussing on equality between men and women, designers neglected their duty of creating fashion that made women look elegant.
After the war, John French showed us how beautiful the art of fashion can be on a woman's body. Enough whit my endless monologues. Just enjoy...
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