David Bailey and the Story of Fashion Photography

Considered one of the pioneers of contemporary photography, David Bailey is credited with photographing some of the most compelling images of the last five decades. He first rose to fame making stars of a new generation of models including Jean Shrimpton and Penelope Tree. Since then his work has never failed to impress and inspire critics and admirers alike, capturing iconic images of legends such as: The Rolling Stones, the Kray twins, Damien Hirst and Kate Moss, these simple yet powerful black and white images have become a genre in their own right.

 A self confessed industry 'outsider', Bailey is famous for his ability to put his subjects at ease, building up a rapport on set and focusing on the model as the most interesting part of the image. He famously met muse, girlfriend and modelling icon Jean Shrimpton on the roof of the Vogue offices. Bailey has also become a muse of sorts himself, as one of the first British photographers to garner a reputation that rivaled the rock stars, icons and models he photographed. 

Baileys first official foray into the world of fashion photography was his appointment to British Vogue in 1960. He remained associated with the magazine first on staff, then as a freelancer for over fifteen years. His use of stark black and white backgrounds, closely cropped shots and sharp lighting lead to a new era of fashion photography. This new style epitomised the changing London cultural scene and Bailey's flamboyant personality was at the epicentre. 

In December 1976, Bailey and his former 'The Image' colleague David Litchfield launched monthly magazine 'Ritz Newspaper'. Originally aimed to be a crossover for the British market between 'Interview' and 'Rolling Stone', the publication featured everyone from Andy Warhol to Bianca Jagger. David Bailey was involved with the magazine for eight of the fifteen years it was in print, and was credited with introducing paparazzi photography to the UK. 

David Bailey's signature style may be stark black and white portraiture but his work in colour is equally distinct. Colour adds another layer to David Bailey's work and often the undercurrent of sexuality that is present in so much of his photography is magnified. Of course colour makes the work bolder and more vibrant but it also seems to make the imagery more daring and less self-controlled. David Bailey's colour photography shows the brilliant versatility of the photographer and adds yet another facet to his incredible body of work.