Horst: The man behind fashion's most iconic images —
Corset by Detolle for Mainbocher, 1939His name may not be as familiar as his contemporaries Richard Avedon and Irving Penn, but surrealist Horst P. Horst is one of fashion's celebrated photographers, responsible for some of the most memorable images of the 20th century. Susanna Brown, the curator behind "Horst: Photographer of Style" -- a retrospective at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London debuting this month -- breaks down his singular style.
By Allyssia Alleyne, for CNN
Horst: The man behind fashion's most iconic images —
Summer Fashions, American Vogue cover, 15 May 1941Horst, a regular photographer for American, British and Paris Vogue, was known to infuse his fashion photography with classic Surrealist motifs. "It was Surrealism Lite, if you will—a sort of acceptable version of Surrealism for the Vogue audience," Brown explains.
Horst: The man behind fashion's most iconic images —
Muriel Maxwell, American Vogue cover, 1 July 1939 Before taking up photography, German-born Horst studied furniture design in Hamburg, and architecture in Paris under Le Corbusier. "You see that (influence) in his work. It's the mind of someone who sees things in three dimensions. It's sort of sculpting and creating space," Brown says. "It's not a two-dimensional image for Horst."
Horst: The man behind fashion's most iconic images —
Marlene Dietrich, New York, 1942This sculptural quality did not go unnoticed, and led others to distinguish him as the "master" or "magician" of light. Vogue art director Mehemed Agha once observed: "One has the impression that, if it were possible to walk around his models on their pedestals, they would look equally good from the back or from the side."
Horst: The man behind fashion's most iconic images —
Dress by Hattie Carnegie, 1939Before a shoot, Horst could be found creating the set himself. (He once spent an evening sewing individual tiny stars onto a swatch of black fabric by hand for a backdrop.) "Vogue had carpenters and studio assistants, but I think that for Horst, a lot of the joy came from creating this miniature theater," Brown says. "Part of his talent is he's able to make very cheap pieces of wood and paper appear like marble, or very exquisite designs."
Horst: The man behind fashion's most iconic images —
Salvador Dalí's costumes for Leonid Massine's ballet Bacchanale, 1939However, Horst wasn't never shy about enlisting the best of the best to help him when necessary. "These are costumes designed by Dalí for the ballet Bacchanale, and they were executed by Coco Chanel, and then photographed by Horst."
Horst: The man behind fashion's most iconic images —
Dinner suit and headdress by Schiaparelli, 1947 Collaborating with fellow Surrealists, like couturier Elsa Schiaparelli, also gave him to opportunity to push the limits of fashion photography. "His interpretations of her designs are so strange and so architectural and powerful, often sort of geometric. It 's this idea of sort of splicing up the body and this very disconcerting illusionary sort of space sometimes."
Horst: The man behind fashion's most iconic images —
Round the Clock, New York, 1987Most grateful for his brand of collaboration were the models. In a time when models were often seen and not heard, Horst gave them a voice. "The creation of Horst pictures was a very collaborative process. Of course we give him the credit that he deserves, but it's not only about the photographer," Brown says. "The model is not a sculpture. She has an important role to play and is an active collaborator."
Horst: The man behind fashion's most iconic images —
Horst directing fashion shoot with Lisa Fonssagrives, 1949He was instrumental in launching the careers of countless models, including Lisa Fonssagrives, Russian emigrées Lyla Zelensky and Lud (who was said to smile only for him), and Carmen Dell'Orefice, to whom he was a father figure.
"I interviewed a lot of models for the exhibition research," Brown says. "They adored him."
Horst: Photographer of Style runs from 6 September 2014 -- 4 January, 2015 at the V&A. For more information, visit www.vam.ac.uk/horst