STEVEN MAYZEL IN FASHION PHOTOS AND SHE IN IT
One of the most famous commercial photographers of our time, Steven Meisel was born on June 5, 1954 in New York. Since childhood, his eccentricity has become noticeable close. Stephen combined the Anglo-Irish descent of his mother and the Russian-Jewish roots of his father. When he was 3 years old, the family moved to Wisconsin, where he spent his childhood as a future photographer. The boy’s father worked in show business, so Meisel got to know the backstage early.
After graduating from high school, Stephen went to study at the Parsons School of Design as a fashion illustrator. His talent was quickly noticed, and Meisel began his career at the Halston fashion house, and then at Women Wear Daily. Making illustrations for the magazine, he was inspired by the famous masters of photography of that time: Richard Avedon, Jerry Schatzberg, Irwin Penn. Gradually, Stephen realized that fashion illustration was outdated and replaced by photography.
Meisel began to shoot his girlfriends models. His shots posted in model portfolios aroused the interest of the editor of Seventeen magazine. Stephen was immediately invited to work together. Then there was a collaboration with the Elite agency, where he was able to fully open up in a new role. Soon, Meisel began to work with a number of fashion publications as a photographer. In 1983, the documentary “Portfolio” was released about the everyday life of people from the modeling business. Stephen, who was popular at that time, also “appeared” in the picture, but he himself spoke extremely unflattering about this experience.
The photographer’s career has developed rapidly. Collaboration with Vogue, shooting fashion shows in Europe and America – Stephen becomes the most sought after and sought after photographer in the fashion world. From 1988 to the present day, he has designed every cover of Italian Vogue.
Maisel’s talent has contributed to the career advancement of dozens of girls whose names are included in the history of the global modeling business. Among them: Linda Evangelista, Natalia Vodianova, Naomi Campbell, Raquel Zimmerman, Sasha Pivovarova, Megan Collison, Lindsay Wicksson, Amber Valletta, Lara Stone and others.
Coco Rocha in his interview called him the godfather of models. In 2009, in the May issue of Vogue, the Godfather photo shoot dedicated to Meisel was posted.
It was Stephen in 1992 who took photographs for the book of Madonna. On the pages of the bestseller with the provocative title “Sex”, in addition to the singer herself, other stars are depicted, including Naomi Campbell. Scandalous photos simulating intercourse, same-sex love added to the professional image of Meisel “peppercorns”.
Stephen removes the original advertising projects. Some of them are so provocative that the channels refuse to broadcast them, and the author is accused of promoting pornography.
Meisel helped to open up in the profession not only to models. Many hairdressers, stylists and makeup artists have earned a name for themselves thanks to its patronage.
With his works, Meisel refers not only to the world of fashion, but also to society as a whole. He repeatedly emphasized the closeness of designers who do not want special changes. In 2008, Stephen actively raises the issue of discrimination against black girls in the profession. As a result, one of the Vogue rooms does not depict a single “white” model.
The September Vogue Italia for 2006 brought Meisel a lot of trouble. In a photo shoot called The State of Emergency, Stephen played with the concept of restricting the freedoms that arose after the September 11th attack. Models portrayed policemen and terrorists. The scandal surrounding the photo shoot ended with Meisel talking to the FBI.
The photographer focused on the problem of a fanatical attitude towards cosmetology and plastic surgery. In July 2005, Meisel released a series of shots,
Meisel does not ignore environmental problems. With a series of photos “Water and oil”, he clearly reveals the consequences of an explosion on a platform in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
Stephen Meisel is a mysterious person and, certainly, a big figure in the world of fashion business. He really does not like to be interviewed, photographed and filmed. This is one of the few photographers of this level who has not released a photo book with his works. Participation in exhibitions, he considers an unnecessary waste of time. True, in 2009 the album “Counting 317” was released. On its pages are placed 317 covers of Vogue Italia, made by Stephen for 20 years of service in the publishing house. It is about the Italian branch of Vogue that Meisel speaks very warmly. Here he was given maximum freedom and, according to the photographer himself, “spoiled his ideas less often than other publications.”
Despite the variety of themes and the photographer’s imagination, his style is well recognized. Meisel’s talent and creativity made his name a brand in the global fashion industry.
