Patrick Demarchelier
Patrick Demarchelier (1943–2022, born Le Havre, France) was a fashion photographer whose warm, spontaneous approach and instinct for the unguarded moment gave his work a naturalness that set it apart from the more formal aesthetics of his contemporaries. Largely self-taught, Demarchelier began photographing in France before moving to New York in 1975, where he established himself across fashion and editorial photography, contributing to Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and virtually every major publication over a career spanning five decades.
His images for Dior, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Ralph Lauren defined a vision of accessible elegance that made him among the most sought-after photographers of his era. In 1989 he became the personal photographer of Princess Diana, the first non-British photographer to hold such a role within the Royal Family, producing portraits that proved enduring. In 2007 the French government named him an Officier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
His work appeared on the covers of virtually every major fashion magazine internationally. A retrospective of his work was held at the Petit Palais in Paris in 2008.