I'm sure the forthcoming National Theatre exhibition of Norman Parkinson's work will be strong on grace, elegance and style. Marking a hundred years since his birth (he died in 1990), it follows every stage of the fashion photographer's career from the '40s to the '90s, his images always marked by their polish, gloss and glamour and the wit and inventiveness behind them.
There is a Vogue preview of the exhibition - which runs from 1st. March to 12th. May - here, and a few more shots here.
Just by the way, though still on the subject of fashion, designer Caroline Charles remarks here on the liveliness of fashion shows in her early days in the '60s, and comments that then "nobody stomped down a catwalk looking sullen or cross". I do agree that models nowadays seem not to know how to walk gracefully, they rarely have good posture or carry themselves elegantly, and they look so dour or - to use a good Scots word - glaikit they'd put anyone off the clothes. If they can't bring themselves to smile, could they not at least look pleasant?
Sisters under the skin eh?
I'll disagree (at least with respect to the models I know or follow) with your comment about grace and elegance nowadays, though smiling is often indeed not in evidence. The catwalk is a very strange environment and I never watch people upon it nor do the models I know personally inhabit it. Skilled photographers, and of course Parkinson is very much one of the finest, and skilled models (and MUA experts) produce some fabulous images and I think that is just as true in 2013 as it was in 1960.
Posted by: Dark Puss | 17 February 2013 at 08:31 PM
I saw a range of London Fashion Week photographs in the newspaper this morning which bear out my point very well!
My gripe with much of contemporary fashion photography is that it conveys very little about the clothes.
Posted by: Cornflower | 17 February 2013 at 08:55 PM
Some does and some doesn't and not all of fashion photography is trying to sell the clothes directly. I've looked at a huge range of fashion photography (for men and women) in the last couple of years nearly all of which managed to convey the clothes, to me at least, extremely well.
I expect you and I will differ on this one. P x
Posted by: Dark Puss | 17 February 2013 at 09:05 PM
Maybe so!
Posted by: Cornflower | 17 February 2013 at 09:12 PM