“I believe that you’ve got to love your work so much that it is all you want to do.”
—Richard AvedonAssembled in conjunction with his landmark 1978 retrospective at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Avedon/Paris is a celebration of Richard Avedon’s early career in fashion photography. Hired as a staff photographer for Harper’s Bazaar in 1945, Avedon continued to work for the publication for the next 20 years before joining Vogue in 1966. The eleven photographs included in this portfolio, all taken in Paris between 1947 and 1957, highlight this influential first phase of his prolific output, showcasing the effortless glamour and dynamic playfulness that would become hallmarks of his unrivalled 60-year career. Here, Avedon rejects the traditional studio backdrop to photograph his famous muses such as Dorian Leigh, Sunny Harnett and Marlene Dietrich on location and in motion, conveying their elegance and joie de vivre through varied settings. This groundbreaking cinematic approach captures the freedom, excitement and energy of 1950s ‘New Look’ fashion in the post-war era as France was striving to reclaim its cultural capital.
Titles: Dorian Leigh, Schiaparelli rhinestones, Pré-Catelan, Paris, August, 1949; Suzy Parker, Evening dress by Lanvin-Castillo, Café des Beaux Arts, Paris, August, 1956; Marlene Dietrich, Turban by Dior, The Ritz, Paris, August, 1955; Dorian Leigh, Evening dress by Piguet, Helena Rubeinstein apartment, Île St.-Louis, Paris, August, 1949; Dorian Leigh, Coat by Dior, Avenue Montaigne, Paris, August, 1949; Elise Daniels, Turban by Paulette, Pré-Catelan, Paris, August, 1948; Elise Daniels with street performers, Suit by Balenciaga, Le Marais, Paris, August, 1948; Sunny Hartnett, Evening dress by Grès, Casino, Le Touquet, August, 1954; Carmen (Homage to Munkacsi), Coat by Cardin, Place François-Premier, Paris, August, 1957; Suzy Parker and Robin Tattersall, Evening dress by Griffe, Folies-Bergère, Paris, August, 1957; Renée, The New Look of Dior, Place de la Concorde, Paris, August, 1947