One of my first inspirations to get into photography was Fashion Photography. As a typical young girl I would look on fashion blogs and in fashion magazines, which is where I was first introduced to this sort of photography. Fashion Photography is originally devoted to displaying clothing or other fashion items when photographing but has now developed into a way of challenging controversial ideas or creating a mood. What really inspired me was a particular piece by Steven Meisel, which appeared in the Vogue Italia magazine in 2011, but only came to my attention in the last 6 months.

These were the original images I first seen, as you can see the model’s waist is being pushed in by a corset, which makes it almost non-existent. A radical demonstration of the pain some go through in the name of fashion. These photos are apart of a series of photos, which I later found out was called ‘The discipline of fashion.’

As you look and analysis these particular images, you are then made aware of how the facial expression and body language of the model can change the mood and feel towards the image. These types of images can battle controversial matters, Steven Meisel is a Photographer who likes to use theses as his starting point.

I feel these 2 photographs together capture the story and meaning behind these selection of images. They show the pain woman in particular go through to make themselves fashionable and appealing to the public eye. In the first photograph you can see the marks that have been left indented into the skin by the leather gloves she was wearing, these indents shape lines on the skin that almost look like self harming scars, which also relates to pain and expectations. The hand hangs there with no real purpose as if it numb or aching. The second image you can see her tiny waist, which over exaggerates other features in her body such as her hips and shoulders. She is hunched over, almost as if she is in pain while she holds her chest. Her eyes are looking down and she has a serious look on her face as if she is uncomfortable.

These sort of images inspire me because the model is dressed in couture clothes, modelling the clothes and fashion items, which will later be published in a fashion magazine but also has an underlying theme that contradicts the magazine’s purpose. This shows the effects of ‘the discipline to fashion’ in a fashionable and stylish way.