Corinne Day – The Face

Another amazing fashion photography exhibition is in town, and it is perfect for losing yourself in on a wet September afternoon. Gimpel Fils are showcasing Corinne Day THE FACE, a collection of photos the self-taught photographer took for the boundary breaking magazine in 1991. The focal point of the exhibition is one of Day’s most famous sitters, Kate Moss, in what are some of her most iconic images to date.

Corinne Day THE FACE is being exhibited at Gimpel Fils from 1^st September – 1^st October 2011.

Stolen Girlfriends Club: One Night at the Museum

Don’t you just love it when two things you love come together? This time it’s fashion and a talented photographer, Stolen Girlfriends Club new collection and Derek Henderson to be exact.  The tailoring is defined and the prints are gorgeous, but what really stands out this season is their playfulness with patterns and the contrast of colours from piece to piece. The collection was shot one night at the Auckland Museum, with Henderson using the natural darkness to create exceptional fashion photography and showcase the designs perfectly.

Decade

The decade that came to be known as the Noughties contained many significant events that changed or affected many peoples lives. From international terrorism to technological advances, natural disasters to fashion disasters and politics to popular culture, there was rarely a slow news day. Phaidon, the amazing publishing house behind some of the world’s most stylish books, have put together an extraordinary photographic history of this decade.

Decade comes in the form of 500 painstakingly selected photographs, put together chronologically, of the events the world shared, as well as some more personal moments. Along side each image is a short piece on the scene, as well as five essays which explore the environment, art, sport, science and politics. The hardback will be available in late October, and is available to pre order now at only £24.95.

J.W. Anderson

I have long admired J.W. Anderson, the Irish menswear designer who originally moved to Washington DC to study drama, before moving to London to follow his newly found love for fashion, which he discovered when working with stage costumes. He established his label before graduating in 2001, and made his debut at London Fashion week in 2007, keeping with his dramatic but exciting style ever since.

Earlier this year he finally produced a womenswear collection, called SAINT + ASSASIN for AW10, and like the menswear the pieces are gorgeously dramatic and right on trend. The collection, which is now available on ASOS, features soft camel cashmere with oversized knits and tassel heart tee’s, as well as sheer black tops and tartan biker jackets, so there are pieces to express all sides of you.

As well as checking out the new collection you should also look at their amazing blog, which not only keeps you up to date on J.W. Anderson news, but also showcases some gorgeous photography. There are some current photographs but the best are the old ones, many of which were found in ancient books or seem to be old family snaps.

Here are a few of About your Dress’ favourites:

David Bailey: Look

One of the greats in the world of fashion photography, David Bailey, whose career kicked off in 1960 when he started working for Vogue, has had all of his greatest work put together in one book called David Bailey: Look, by freelance writer Jackie Higgins, which is release at the end of the month.

The book features many of his iconic photographs of musicians, artists, actors and celebrities including Rolling Stones, Andy Warhol, Michael Caine and the Kray twins, as well as his family snapshots and gritty London landscapes. Alongside the amazing photographs are short pieces of text explaining the story behind the images, and an essay assessing Bailey’s role in the history of fashion photography and discussing his work from the 1960s to the present day. This really is the perfect book for any fashion, photography or popular culture enthusiast.

Irving Penn: Small Trades

It’s no big secret, as you will come to realise, that About your Dress is a huge fan of fashion photography, and believes one of the greats is a man who said that “Photographing a cake can be art”, Irving Penn. He was most famous for his work in Vogue; however his talent extended far past making beautiful people look even more beautiful, as shown in a series of images he shot of working class men and woman entitled Small Trades.

The project began in 1950, when Penn was in Paris, shooting collections for American Vogue. Between the shoots he would photograph tradespeople in their work clothes, carrying the tools of their profession. Over the next year he continued the project in New York and London, showcasing the beauty of the average person, and the photos soon became primary examples of his trademark style, being published in Vogue in 1951.

The enchanting photos have been compiled into a coffee-table book, entitled Irving Penn: Small Trades, which will be published in the UK on 29^th November 2009. The book also contains essays about the collection, as well as an interview with Edmonde Charles-Roux, the chief editor of French Vogue from 1952 to 1966, who aided Penn on the Paris assignment.