In order to properly tell a "story" or provide a proper character study in my own series, I have have been researching fashion spreads that do this effectively. It seems that in many cases there is an element, other than the set, that appears repeatedly in the images along with the model. This spread, shot by Steven Meisel, is a perfect example of this, with the two young shirtless surfer dudes appearing in many of the images. (I have only shown a selection here, as the spread is 19 pictures. See it in it's entirety here, on the Touch Puppet website, a personal favorite.) The interaction between the three gives the spread a completely different meaning and feel than it were only the model, Jessica Stam, in every photo. Meisel seems to be the master of creating a "story" within his images, although I know it is often a collaboration with the creative director of the magazine. As I move forward with my own work, I will always look to Meisel, particularly his images for Italian Vogue, as the greatest of inspirations.
All images by Steven Meisel
Vogue Italia
Spetember 2003
Vogue Italia
Spetember 2003
