New exhibition reveals the best of global fashion photography

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A major exhibition, Coming into Fashion: A Century of Photography at Condé Nast, launches this weekend on the Gold Coast.

The exhibition celebrates some of the most iconic images from the past century of fashion as the publisher of Vogue, Vanity Fair and Glamour opens up its photography archive to the public.

Miles Aldridge, Vogue Italia, September 2002 © Miles Aldridge
Miles Aldridge, Vogue Italia, September 2002 © Miles Aldridge
John Rawlings, American Vogue, March 1943 © 1943 Condé Nast
John Rawlings, American Vogue, March 1943 © 1943 Condé Nast

Spanning across the past 100 years, the exhibition includes images by Cecil Beaton, Irving Penn, Helmut Newton and Mario Testino. Produced by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography (based in the United States and Europe) the exhibition also looks at early work by luminaries such as Horst P. Horst, Erwin Blumenfeld, David Bailey, Guy Bourdin, Corinne Day, Deborah Turbeville and Sølve Sundsbø.

The collection of images, selected by photography curator Nathalie Herschdorfer, show the sharp contrast in the first fashion photographs from the early 20th century compared to the modern day.

Erwin Blumenfeld, American Vogue, March 1945 © 1945 Condé Nast
Erwin Blumenfeld, American Vogue, March 1945 © 1945 Condé Nast
Constantin Joffé, American Vogue, September 1945 © 1945 Condé Nast
Constantin Joffé, American Vogue, September 1945 © 1945 Condé Nast

"Fashion photography is a way to understand how we represent the construction of female beauty and how it has changed over the years," said Herschdorfer. "While it's about selling beauty, selling fashion, it's also about selling dreams. It can show precisely how the clothes are done, but it can also reflect an idea, an atmosphere, a feeling," she said.

With unprecedented access to the Condé Nast archives in New York, Paris, London and Milan, Herschdorfer navigated through millions of original prints and pages from the actual magazines to create a collection that showcases a taste of every era.

David Bailey, American Vogue, April 1962 © 1962 Condé Nast
David Bailey, American Vogue, April 1962 © 1962 Condé Nast
Deborah Turbeville, American Vogue, May 1975 © 1975 Condé Nast
Deborah Turbeville, American Vogue, May 1975 © 1975 Condé Nast

"I was not looking for specific photographers or icons," she says. "I wanted to make a selection that represented the history of fashion photography but also included those iconic photos that stood well enough on their own, across any era," Herschdorfer said.

“Some images made in the 1940s could still work today on a magazine cover. They belong to a specific period but are still visually strong today, without regard to the page it was on, the era it came from or the product it was selling," she said.

Edward Steichen, American Vogue, December 1923 © 1923 Condé Nast
Edward Steichen, American Vogue, December 1923 © 1923 Condé Nast
Clifford Coffin, American Vogue, June 1949 © 1949 Condé Nast
Clifford Coffin, American Vogue, June 1949 © 1949 Condé Nast

Gallery Director Tracy Cooper-Lavery agrees, “Coming into Fashion allows us access to some of the most significant and stylish images in fashion history.”

“The exhibition brings together 100 years of the world’s greatest fashion photography; ranging from 1920s shots of Broadway actresses to some of the most recognisable photos of the supermodel era. It is such a thrill for Gold Coast City Gallery to be the only venue in Australia presenting the exhibition in its entirety.

Sølve Sundsbø, Love, Spring/Summer 2011 © Sølve Sundsbø/Art + Commerce
Sølve Sundsbø, Love, Spring/Summer 2011 © Sølve Sundsbø/Art + Commerce
Norman Parkinson, Glamour, October 1949 © Norman Parkinson Limited. Courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive
Norman Parkinson, Glamour, October 1949 © Norman Parkinson Limited. Courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive

The Gallery and The Arts Centre Gold Coast will be presenting an exciting array of public programs to accompany the exhibition including talks by international curators through to hands-on workshops and master classes,” Cooper-Lavery said.

In addition, the exhibition will also include a selection of vintage couture fashion from The Darnell Collection - Australia’s largest private collection of fashion from the late 1700s to the 20th century.

Guy Bourdin, French Vogue, February 1955 © Estate of Guy Bourdin. Reproduced by permission of Art + Commerce
Guy Bourdin, French Vogue, February 1955 © Estate of Guy Bourdin. Reproduced by permission of Art + Commerce
Albert Watson, American Vogue, May 1977 © 1977 Condé Nast
Albert Watson, American Vogue, May 1977 © 1977 Condé Nast
Inez & Vinoodh, French Vogue, October 2002 © Courtesy Inez & Vinoodh and Gagosian Gallery
Inez & Vinoodh, French Vogue, October 2002 © Courtesy Inez & Vinoodh and Gagosian Gallery


Coming into Fashion: A Century of Photography at Condé Nast is a ticketed exhibition on display at the Gold Coast City Gallery 25 November, 2017 until 18 February, 2018. Tickets for the exhibition are on sale now. See The Arts Centre Gold Coast website for further details.

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