PENN & FASHION 2026: Six Decades of Photography in Paris
The Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris presents PENN & FASHION, a retrospective showcasing 60 years of work by legendary photographer Irving Penn from September 30th, 2026, to January 17th, 2027.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris hosts PENN & FASHION
- A major retrospective celebrating six decades of fashion photography by Irving Penn
- Exhibition runs from September 30th, 2026, to January 17th, 2027
- Features works drawn from MEP, the Nicola Erni Collection, and The Irving Penn Foundation
Art and photography enthusiasts are invited to explore a major retrospective in Paris, France, tracing over six decades of work by American photographer Irving Penn. Known for transforming editorial assignments into deep explorations of silhouette, texture, and the relationship between the human body and the image, Penn left an indelible mark on visual culture.
Hosted at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP), the exhibition titled PENN & FASHION brings together photographs created for Vogue magazine. Running from September 30th, 2026, to January 17th, 2027, the showcase gathers pieces from the MEP collection, the Nicola Erni Collection, and The Irving Penn Foundation. These works highlight how Penn stripped away non-essential elements, allowing the garments and the individuals wearing them to command the viewer's absolute focus.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Penn's career trajectory took shape when art director Alexander Liberman invited him to join Vogue in 1943. Initially producing still lifes and cover concepts, Penn soon rose to become one of the magazine's premier photographers. His graphic design training under Alexey Brodovitch provided him with a precise understanding of spatial composition, while his appreciation for modern painting and European Surrealism added balance and visual tension to his frames.
The MEP exhibition follows Penn's career chronologically, opening with two 1947 photographs: the still life Theatre Accident and the group portrait 12 Models Moving Their Heads. In 1950, Penn traveled to Paris to photograph haute couture collections, setting up a natural-light studio on Rue de Vaugirard where he captured designs by Cristóbal Balenciaga, Lafaurie, and Rochas against a vintage theater curtain, featuring Lisa Fonssagrives as his primary model.
"The absence of distracting props or narrative settings made the construction of a garment more legible."
Irving Penn
Beyond couture, the exhibition highlights Small Trades, a poignant series portraying workers and tradespeople in professional attire shot within the same controlled studio environment. The retrospective also explores his extensive collaboration with Japanese designer Issey Miyake from 1986 to 1999, which resulted in over 60 posters created by graphic designer Ikko Tanaka using Penn's striking color images.
Irving Penn's ability to elevate editorial fashion photography into fine art demonstrates the profound impact of minimalism in visual storytelling. By stripping the studio down to its essentials, he established a timeless framework for capturing the true architectural form of clothing and the raw presence of his subjects.
Source: designboom
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment