Nick Knight: A Different Kind Of Fashion

Fashion photography has grown in leaps and bounds ever since photography itself was invented. The field really took off when the likes of Edward Steichen added more flavor in 1930s, and then later on with the creativity of Richard Avedon in the 1970s. Today's images would look more or less the same if it weren't for the different kind of fashion photography created by Nick Knight.

Nick Knight is one of the most sought after fashion and editorial photographers in the world today. His first photographs however were focused on an entirely different field. In the 1970s, he took a documentary approach in recording the Skinhead movement popular among youths at that time. He also has a keen interest in pressed flowers and plants, as is evident in his book Flora.

He eventually got into the fashion industry but his big break came in 1986 when he was commissioned to photograph the designs of Yohji Yamamoto in collaboration with the artist Peter Saville. The resulting photographs (e.g. the last image in this post) with their flowing lines and stark contrasts were unlike anything that was made in that time.

As with the best commercial photographers, Knight was soon being commissioned to do photo shoots for Vogue, Dazed & Confused, and W Magazine. His daring style also attracted the attention of the fashion houses, notably Alexander McQueen, Christian Dior, and Swarovski.

Knight's eccentric and futuristic style also translated to film; he's directed a couple of music videos, one of them being Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". Knight also founded SHOWstudio.com, a fashion website that features short films, interactive content and live broadcasts, all with the intention of bringing fashion forward in the digital age.

Knight's photography is always changing, looking towards the latest trends and never recycling old material. While his models may look disinterested or unemotional most times, what he's after is what the whole image conveys and not just one aspect of his photograph. He continues to innovate, looking for inspiration to fuel his "photographic performances".

There are more photographs of Nick Knight's different kind of fashion sense over at his website. His more famous fashion photographs are in the book Nick Knight. His earlier works Skinhead and Flora are still available for purchase.