MERT ALAS – TURKISH STAR FASHION-PHOTOS
One of the most sought after photographers in the fashion industry, Mert Alas, was born in 1971 in Istanbul. His interest in glossy magazines showed up quite early. Murt’s father was a military pilot. Undoubtedly, the mother, who was a model in the 1960s, influenced the young man’s hobbies.
At age 19, Alas went to the UK. In London, he learned the language and found a job as a stylist. His path in photo modeling began after meeting Markus Piggott in 1994. At one of the photo shoots, a fateful meeting took place that marked the beginning of a creative duet. They had a lot in common in biography, professional preferences and hobbies. The guys rented the attic of an abandoned warehouse and equipped a small studio.
Mert and his partner started filming friends on an old Hasselblad, donated by a friend. Despite the fact that there was not enough money, Alas did not engage in wedding photography, but confidently went to the dream of gloss. Together with Piggott, he compiles a portfolio and directs it to the best magazines in the country. The editor of the famous British publication Dazed & Confused appreciated the potential of the guys and invited them to work. The cover of this magazine in 1997 was the first significant photograph of Alas, together with his companion. Just a few months later they were invited to the cult magazine Visionaire. After working there, a manager appears at Murt, a career goes uphill.
In the early 2000s, Alas gained popularity as a photographer. Success comes from everywhere: fashion photography, commercial projects, advertising photos. Campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Missoni; collaboration with Numero; wonderful fees and world fame … This is no longer a dream.
The 2006 Pirelli calendar was designed by Murt and Marcus. This is a landmark event in the life of every photographer who has been awarded such an honor. Frames for the calendar were created on the French Riviera. Models for the photo were Kate Moss, Natalia Vodianova, Gisele Bundchen, Jennifer Lopez, Ginevra van Sinus and Karen Elson. As a result of the work, 27 monochrome images were created. That year, the calendar came out with a rating of 18+, and critics subsequently called it the most frank in 40 years.
Mert often admitted that he loves to shoot supermodels not because their professional level is very high, but because they are always women with a capital letter. These are strong, relaxed, influential personalities. Ideals for him are Madonna and Elizabeth Taylor, Charlotte Rampling and Marlene Dietrich, as well as other legendary divas of the XX and XXI centuries.
In 2007, Alas and his partner participated in the advertising campaign of Louis Vuitton. Scarlett Johansson did an excellent job with the role of the model. She showed bags from the new collection. The following year, Mert was again invited to create a photo shoot for Louis Vuitton spring-summer 2008. In the photo, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Natalya Vodianova and other models languidly reclined in bright cars.
In 2008, Alas designed covers for V and W magazines, as well as Russian Vogue. Among the models were: Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova, Kate Moss, Gwen Stefani, Amber Valletta, Raquel Zimmerman, Daria Verbova and others.
In the same year, Mert worked on promotional photos for the Armani fashion house. The Beckham couple showed off Emporio Armani underwear. Black and white frames of the photographer emphasized the sophistication and style of the collection. The shooting took place in Milan, in a chic five-star hotel.
In 2009-2010, Alas actively collaborates with Love Magazine, creates one after another amazing covers featuring top models. Artist’s advertising projects for Gucci, Givenchy, Armani Jeans, Roberto Cavalli, Bvlgari were also very successful.
Alas does not hide his love for post-processing. Thanks to Photoshop, the master manages to create unique frames, looking at which, a sense of reality is lost. The unique style of the artist can be recognized among others. For Murt, it is crucial how the model looks. He spends a lot of time in the dressing room before shooting, helping stylists, makeup artists and hairdressers. The appearance of the model, makeup, hairstyle, image – everything should correspond to the idea of photographers.
In 2011, Alas participated in the creation of the September Interview and the October Vogue France. In 2012, the December issue of Interview Germany is decorated with photos of the legendary Kate and Naomi made by Murt and Marcus. Monochrome shots of nude supermodels look fantastic.
In 2013, Mert removes advertising dripping for Versace fashion house. To demonstrate the spring-summer 2013 lingerie collection, Kendra Spears and Ryan Barrett were invited as models. In 2014, Lady Gaga starred in a photo shoot for Versace. The singer was dressed in a delicate lavender dress with massive chains and geometric cuts. The hairstyle, makeup and image of the model were “tailored” to Donatella Versace.
