23/01/2024
In light of Spring 2024 Couture week, we reflect on some of the images made by Man Ray of the greatest couturier of all: Elsa Schiaparelli and her designs.
“Man Ray was a widely versatile artist who worked with a range of different media and did not like to be pigeonholed. Fashion as such did not seem to be a particular interest of his, but dressmaking was part of his youth and photographing fashion played a crucial role throughout his career. The way he portrayed women and their clothing continues to influence fashion photographers today. Man Ray used new and unexpected angles, employed artistic staging, and applied such innovative processes as solarization andmultiple exposure to his fashion photography. In recent decades, fashion designers continue to find inspiration in his Surrealist imagery. This is most notably true for Belgian designers, with their avant-garde mindset.Completely in line with the concept of Surrealism, these references are often subconscious. The first reference to Man Ray in Belgian fashion, however, was in fact explicit and can be placed squarely at the entrance of the Brussels-based Norine couture house.” ~ Romy Cockx
1- Man Ray, Early Evening Dress in Printed Black Crêpe by Elsa Schiaparelli, published in Harper’s Bazaar, March 1936
2- Man Ray, Dress by Elsa Schiaparelli, c.1937
3- Man Ray, Elsa Schiaparelli, c.1933
4- Man Ray, Mrs. Toulgouat in an Evening Dress by Schiaparelli, 1932
5- Man Ray and Fashion published by in collaboration with - designed by and produced by
