FASHION

He was most recognizable for his fashion photography and intense editorial style in American Vogue during the 1950s and 60s. Penn’s style of black and white still life portraiture helped to capture the true essence of Parisian Couture, as it showcased the structuring and tight silhouettes of the era. His photography emphasized postwar ideas of youth and opulence in new-age designers such as Christian Dior and Jacques Griffe. All the while showcasing how the modern American woman should dress after 6pm.

Irving Penn was born to immigrant parents in 1917 in Plainfield, New Jersey. He was educated through the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts, where he was exposed to applications and principles of contemporary art through magazines, exhibitions, architecture, and photography. After World War II, Penn was hired by Vogue’s art director Alex Liberman. He quickly developed his signature still life and portraiture style through fashion assignments, photographing clothes from some of Paris’ top couture houses, such as Christian Dior, Jean Patou, and Jacques Fath.

The Vogue years were formative to Penn’s early career as he slowly started to curate his now signature