The World of Georges Dambier

With NYC Fashion Week in full swing, we wanted to reflect on an individual who redefined fashion photography: Georges Dambier. The little-known French photographer was one of the first to treat high fashion with an eye for popular art – a precursor to some of today’s street fashion blogs, like The Sartorialist and The Locals.  Working for ELLE magazine in the 1950s and 1960s, Dambier, whose subjects were often caught laughing or smiling intimately, pushed against conservative studio photography. Shootings were often in exotic locations or in urban centers with models strutting against the backdrop of Mediterranean beaches or European cityscapes, hailing taxicabs and walking along Parisian promenades.