Pretty Pictures, Fabulous Fashion

Dotti over at Dotti's Dots recently posted a selection of photographs from American fashion photographer John Rawlings, thereby introducing me to the worthy body of work from this amazing artist. Rawlings was a Conde Nast photographer from the 1930's through to the 1960's. He shot over 200 Vogue and Glamour covers during his career and is credited as one of a handful of photographers to have elevated fashion photography to an art form. Apparently he was known for his use of light and crisp clean lines along with his ability to photograph the clothes, while also telling a story.

I love fashion images from the 30's through to the 60's because you can actually see the clothes and the models - even if some of them were very young - exude a womanly sophistication, which is rarely seen in magazines these days.

Rawlings also photographed a number of famous actresses. I particularly love these images of Lauren Bacall and Gene Tierney, which look so beautifully modern. I love Lauren's midriff baring suit, and her shoes wouldn't look out of place walking along the beachfront today.

You can see a whole heap more of his images here.