Behind the Lens

Fashion photography has undergone a momentous shift over the past century, evolving from a purely commercial device into a multifaceted medium that has produced some of the world’s most esteemed creative visionaries. Fortunately, Los Angeles’s J. Paul Getty Museum has taken on the challenge of paying homage to this phenomenon with its upcoming exhibit “Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography, 1911–2011”. The first of its kind, “Icons of Style” is set to feature more than 160 fashion photographs, as well as costumes, videos, magazine covers, advertisements, and illustrations representative of fashion’s zeitgeists throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Beginning with the work of Edward Steichen, the pioneer artistic fashion photographer, the exhibit will showcase the work of over 80 revolutionaries, including Peter Lindbergh, Helmut Newton, and Nick Knight, to explore the reflection of art, politics, and culture in fashion photography. “Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography, 1911–2011” is on view from June 26 to October 21, 2018, at the J. Paul Getty Museum.