From Jean Shrimpton to Stephanie Seymour, 10 Fashion Photographs Under £3k

Georges Dambier, Dorian with a Bunch of Flowers, 1951
Estimate £1,000–1,500

A predilection towards graphic design and aesthetics led photo-reporter Georges Dambier towards fashion photography. As he built and polished his practice, his approach to the medium moved away from what was the norm, introducing more dynamic shots and poses. His models were not only depicted in the studio but also on location, above all, in his beloved Paris. Dorian with a Bunch of Flowers, 1951 is a great example of Dambier’s ability to put the subject at ease, creating true, intimate and lasting images.

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John Stoddart, Fashion by John Galliano, 1987
Estimate £1,000–1,500

This stunning image by John Stoddart was shot for John Galliano’s collection in 1987. This year marked an important milestone in the designer’s career, being awarded the British Fashion Designer of the Year award as well as Dress of the Year of the Fashion Museum in Bath. Galliano’s collections, heavily influenced by period style, are always a step ahead. Stoddart knew how to capture this vital and dynamic feeling in the photograph without disregarding the importance of the garments.

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William Claxton, Peggy Moffit in Rudi Gernreich’s Topless Swimsuit, 1964
Estimate £1,000–1,500

This iconic image embodies the talent of American photographer, William Claxton. Although he is known for his portraits of jazz musicians such as Chet Baker, the photographer was also proficient in fashion photography. This photograph features Peggy Moffit , who he married in 1960, and who was also muse to designer Rudi Gernreich. After the success of this shoot, Claxton went on to collaborate with the designer and his wife Peggy, for the film Basic Black in 1967, which is considered to be one of the first fashion films.

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John Stoddart, John Galliano, London, 1987
Estimate £1,500–2,000

Experimental and innovative, John Galliano’s designs have always been at the forefront of the avant-garde fashion movement. He draws inspiration from different sources, always carrying a strong historical influence. His graduate show at Saint Martin’s School of Art was titled Incroyables. It featured 18th-century inspired garments which showcased his necessity to push fashion forward by learning from the past and adapting it to our modern society. Incroyables would mark the start of his career as a leading force in the fashion industry.

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Horst P. Horst, L isa Fonssagrives-Penn with Turban, 1940
Estimate £2,000–3,000

Lisa Fonssagrives was a trained dancer and sculptor when she posed for her first fashion assignment in 1931. It consisted of test shots for Vogue taken by the talented Horst P. Horst. The photographer’s career spanned over six decades. His mastery of light and composition made him one of the most influential fashion photographers of the 20th century. Lisa Fonssagrives was captured in some of Horst’s most iconic shots and also became a frequent visitor to the studios of the best photographers of the time, such as Erwin Blumenfeld, Richard Avedon or Irving Penn who would become her husband and most prolific creative partner.

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Sante D’Orazio, Torso, (Stephanie Seymour), St. Bart’s, 1992
Estimate £2,000–3,000

The first commissioned work for American photographer, Sante D’Orazio, was for Vogue Italia in 1981, where he was noticed by Andy Warhol's Interview magazine. Following a fast ascent into the fashion sphere, D’Orazio along with fellow photographers Peter Lindbergh, Herb Ritts and Patrick Demarchelier, shaped the 1980s fashion photography with over-sensual shots. The photographer collaborated with most of the supermodels of that era, exalting them into provocative and almost sexual poses, as illustrated in this shot of Stephanie Seymour .

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Lillian Bassman, Jean Shrimpton, ca. 1955
Estimate £2,000–3,000

Lillian Bassman, originally trained as a painter, quickly became one of the 20th century’s greatest fashion photographers. In 1947, she became the Art Director at Harper’s Bazaar, and her work appeared in the publication throughout the 1940’s and 50’s. This stunning photograph of Jean Shrimpton was taken soon before Bassman decided to go on a hiatus until the 1990s. Shrimpton was probably one of the most iconic faces of the 1960s, and this portrait established her status as a world renowned muse.

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Melvin Sokolsky, Sidekick, Harper’s Bazaar, Paris, 1965
Estimate £2,000–3,000

The 1950s marked one of the golden ages of fashion photography. Melvin Sokolsky, was taken under the wing of Harper’s Bazaar design director, Henry Wolfe, and became a staff photographer in his twenties. His series Bubbles, 1963 and Fly, 1965 are his most iconic. This stunning print, Sidekick, Harper’s Bazaar, Paris, 1965 belongs to Fly. Sokolsky returned two years after the success of the first series and created this body of work featuring model Dorothea McGowan, suspended above Parisian scenes as if inflight. At one point during the shoot, Salvador Dalí appeared on set, demanding: "Sokolsky, make Dalí fly!".

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Melvin Sokolsy, Las Meninas, Harper’s Bazaar, New York, 1968
Estimate £2,000–3,000

A photographer with no formal training, Melvin Sokolsky is an autodidact who started using his father’s camera at the age of ten. The originality of this photography resides in the artist’s fascination for Old Masters, his discrete self-portrait which is homage to Velasquez’s Las Meninas. Sokolsky is hiding in the background shadow, at the exception of his hand capturing the moment which is under the light. The enigmatic and stoical look of the photographer contrasts with the warmth and softness brought by Carmen Dell'Orefice to this shot.

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Horst P. Horst, Study in Ivory, New York, 1982
Estimate £2,000–3,000

Beginning his career with French Vogue in 1931, German-American photographer, Horst P. Horst quickly became one of the most important innovators in 20th century fashion photography. Mainly working in a studio, Horst was a master of light, shadow and composition, with a distinct sense for geometry and lines. All of these characteristics are proof of the photographer’s interest in Surrealism, which would eventually lead him to work with Dali in some projects. This stunning image, Study in Ivory, New York, 1982 was part of an advertising campaign for Saks Fifth Avenue taken over 50 years after the start of his career, but still establishing him as one of the pioneers of the medium.

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