Dreamy Visions of Couture

TGIF! Last night I had the pleasure of attending the opening reception of Cathleen Naundorf's exhibition here in New York at the Edwynn Houk Gallery. And wowzers! What an absolutely delightful evening filled with exquisite designer haute couture in fashion photography! Let me tell you more about the artist!

Opening reception with Cathleen Naundorf's photographs at Edwynn Houk Gallery.

Born in the small German town, Weisenfels, in 1968, Cathleen Naundorf began working as a photojournalist in the early 90's and photographed various groups around the world including the Yanomami in Amazonia, the Mongols and Kazakhstanis in the Altai Mountains, and the shamans in Yakutia, Sibiria. Her friendship with photographer Horst P. Horst, quickly grew her to be inspired by fashion photography.

"L'armore, 1", Valentino haute couture 1992 au château de Wideville © Cathleen Naundorf

In 1997 she began photographing backstage at Paris fashion shows for Condé Nast, and in 2000 she began working with her trademark polaroid and large format cameras. Her Polaroid photography resonates with magical, enchanting dream-like fantasies, and Naundorf's distinctive technique is not only inspired by her mentor Horst, but the images are so atmospheric, they present a surrealist world rich with intrigue that suggest a romantic aesthetic of a forgotten age. Paired with instant film's hazy saturation and the actual amount of time and effort that goes into making a couture garment, makes her images extremely fitting and quite unique.

Cathleen Naundorf, Valentino en Rose, Valentino – Haute Couture Winter 2007 - N°59, 2007, Gelatin silver print, 24 x 20 inches (60 x 50 cm)

Photographing the intricate haute-couture designs of fashion houses such as Dior, Elie Saab, Philip Treacy, and Valentino, clearly and continually reference an esteem for the antique and handmade. Plus the ethereal effect from the way Naundorf manipulates the inherent textures and color variations enhance everything in her prints. Just pure elegance, style and quality.

Cathleen Naundorf, An Ordinary Day, Valentino - Haute Couture Summer 2008 - N°20, 2008, Chromogenic print from original polaroid, 24 x 20 inches (60 x 50 cm)

From 2005 to 2011, she did the epic series Un rêve de mode for which the artist gained unprecedented access in the previously mentioned fashion houses. In 2012 Prestel published the series in the limited edition monograph, Haute Couture: The Polaroids of Cathleen Naundorf.

L to R: Gilles Decamps, Suzanne Spiegoski, Cathleen Naundorf, & M. Brendon MacInnis from in the Art world.

In the past five years, Naundorf has worked privately with Mr. Valentino Garavani on several projects including An Italian Story and the photo-documentation of Mr. Garavani’s collaboration with the New York City Ballet. Her work is consistently featured on the pages of Harper’s Bazaar and Condé Nast publications. She currently lives and works in London and Paris.

With the amazingly talented fashion photographer, Cathleen Naundorf at Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York City, NY.

Here are a few of my faves from the exhibition. Selected photographs by Cathleen Naundorf from the Haute Couture series will be exhibited at the Edwynn Houk Gallery from January 14th to February 27th, 2016.

L’arche de Noé XVIII, Dior haute couture summer 2012, 2012 © Cathleen Naundorf

Les liaisons dangereuses - The wedding meal, Dior Joaillerie, 2010 © Cathleen Naundorf

L'arche de Noé VIII, Dior/Philip Treacy, haute couture summer 2012, 2012 © Cathleen Naundorf

Love & xx's,

Portraits of Samia

Last month after sifting through hundreds of photos I come across on Instagram daily, I stumbled upon a face I immediately felt drawn to. Samia is six feet of intense beauty. A sense of extreme curiosity compelled me to message her and see if she'd even be interested in collaborating together.  It's not as common as you may think, (perhaps it's because I'm a tad shy when it comes to reaching out to people for the purpose of photographing someone. Or maybe it's because I took a long hiatus from photography in itself.) But I have never been the type to be as forthright as I was when I contacted her. I was pleasantly surprised when she replied back right away.

My hiatus consisted of writing my first novel as well as working as a figure skating coach, which explains the break. It's can be tough when you're passionate about multiple projects!  I've been wanting to update my portfolio for some time now. I think MaQ was the one who led me back to the camera since I've been pretty keen on only photographing him besides everyday snapshots of my husband and friends. And now with the blog, it's become second nature. I love documenting our journey together and sharing it with you guys!

For me, it's not just about a photo. It's about telling a story; a conversation; a conflict. A photograph is worth a thousand words as they say, and I think what makes photography truly special, is the constant absorption we receive from each photo made. Sure it should be technically sound but the affect it has on it's viewers is what matters most to me. Photos should make you feel something. I love portraits that make me feel like I already know the person but what I love even more is how it can make me want to get to know someone I don't already know. Especially strangers. Not only are you getting to know each other but you're always learning from each other.

I'm a total people-watcher. As a writer, all you interesting folks bring such inspiration when it comes to creating characters. The art of observing is what motivates me to bring them to life. I, however, never click and tell on who and where it's originated from. :)

Scroll down for more photos of Samia! You can catch more of this beauty on her Instagram.

Interested in a photoshoot together? I'm always happy to hear from you!

Message me here or on my personal Instagram account. Happy Monday!

Love & xx's,

maQ + Suz