Fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier

"Get me Demarchelier!" - ordered the heroine Meryl Streep to her assistant in the movie "The Devil Wears Prada". Indeed, the name of Patrick Demarchelier today is iconic in the fashion world. He is one of the best, most expensive and most sought after fashion photographers. Patrick himself loves portraits. He shot portraits of famous models, Hollywood stars, and even Princess Diana. Demarchelier became the first non-British photographer to be allowed to photograph members of the royal family, despite all protocol. About his first meeting with Princess Diana Demarchelier recalled this: she called him when he was working in British “Vogue” and offered to take pictures of her, he agreed, Diana remembered him for her long hair and “terrible” makeup, Demarchelier went to the next shooting with a stylist and make-up artist.

Patrick Demarchelier in many of his interviews admitted that he likes to see spontaneity, emotions in his photographs, he does not like excessive posing. And a person in front of the camera can be himself in two cases: at the very beginning of the shooting, or in the case when the shooting is delayed for long hours. Patrick Demarchelier loves unexpected photographs. So one of his now famous photographs princess He made Diana when they were just talking, laughing, completely unexpected for her. But his favorite portrait Demarchelier, oddly enough, calls the portrait of his own dog Puffy, because in his words: “A dog is ideal for a portrait. She doesn't pose. She doesn't know that she is in front of the camera! "

Patrick Demarchelier was born on August 21, 1943 in German-occupied Paris. Then his family moved to the seaside Le Havre. Demarchelier from a young age was fond of photography, and when Patrick was 17 years old, his adoptive father gave him a camera - "Kodak".

At the age of 18-19, Patrick moved to Paris. In Paris, he works in a darkroom, as a printer, and then gets a job in the film magazine "Cin? Monde". She is undergoing training with Hans Feurer. A year later, Demarchelier leaves the newsreel and again looks for work in a photo studio, but no one wanted to take him to work in a photo studio and he gets a job in a model school, takes pictures portfolio.

The first of the famous and influential magazines in the world of fashion, which bought the work of Patrick Demarchelier, was the magazine "ELLE", France, and then the French "Marie Claire". Fame comes to Demarchelier. He works not only in France, but also in Germany and Italy. However, in 1975, Patrick abandons everything and moves to New York, following his beloved, who, as it turned out, was in love with a completely different person. Demarchelier ended up in a foreign country without knowing the language. But his talent does not let him go to waste. Patrick Demarchelier is noticed by the art director of the American "Vogue" Alexander Lieberman and offers him a job. Then Demarchelier also works for Glamor, Mademoiselle, GQ magazines.

Patrick Demarchelier's idols and photographers he admires are: “Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Frank Horvat. Photographers 50 Years Ago ". He also loves the work of photographer Robert Frank, although it has nothing to do with fashion photography. According to Patrick Demarchelier himself, who to date has photographed almost all world celebrities, he would very much like to photograph the Dalai Lama.

Today, Patrick Demarchelier has left behind the shooting of advertising campaigns for such companies as Calvin Klein Inc., Armani, Chanel, Gap, Versace, L'Or? Al. Works in publications such as Newsweek, Life, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Vogue.

He has three children. He became an Officer of the Order of Literature and Art and was honored with the Eleanor Lambert award as the best image maker. Among the photo albums released by Demarchelier, the most famous are: "Patrick Demarchelier: Photographs" (1995), "Patrick Demarchelier: Exposing Elegance" (1997) and "Patrick Demarchelier: Forms" (1998).