The latest ‘shooting’ by Ferrater in Barcelona and his legacy to fashion at the Museum of Costume in Madrid
Fashion photography? It was the wild west. An unexplored territory. That’s how José Manuel Ferrater Lambarri (Barcelona, 1948), one of the leading names in fashion photography in Spain, sums up his breakthrough in this industry. This artist (who also paints with the same boldness and intensity that has characterized his stance behind the camera) emerged in the sixties with a photography capable of anything. From being dark. Ironic. Sensual. Transgressive. Different. Challenging. Underground. But also, sometimes, incredibly optimistic. Fun. Very playful.
And, of course, true industry experts know very well who Ferrater is. More or less the models from that golden age of fashion, the era of supermodels, who posed for him. Naomi Campbell, Monica Bellucci, Bar Refaeli, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Amber Valletta, Ines Sastre, Bimba Bose, Judit Masco, Jon Kortajarena, and Tony Ward, among many others, know what it’s like to be in front of Ferrater’s unique gaze.
The Ministry of Culture acquired more than 20,000 photos for the Museum of Costume
But it’s over. Just a few weeks ago, this fashion giant shot his last photoshoot in Barcelona (as a presentation of the exhibition of his unpublished work from the last 40 years that can be seen at LAB36) and now the camera is completely hung up. He celebrates it with great news because he can boast of having a large, very large retrospective hanging at the Museum of Costume in Madrid.
Explains the great change that has shaped fashion photography. That transition from the wild west that he explains it was in the seventies, to the arrival of the crazy eighties marked by the strong presence of iconic models and recognized photographers. “The dresses, accessories, and designs took a back seat, overshadowed by the charisma and fame of the people showcasing them. The big brands began to worry because the public’s attention was more focused on the models and photographers than on their own products,” acknowledges the master.
In the last few decades, the change has been significant. “Models have gone from being iconic figures to anonymous tools for showcasing clothing and accessories. This dehumanization has led to a certain decline in fashion photography, where the personalities behind the cameras and the runways no longer have the same recognition and prestige as before,” Ferrater concludes.
Such is their strength and legacy that the Ministry of Culture acquired over 20,000 photos for the collection of the Museum of Costume in Madrid. It is this institution that now dedicates an exhibition to them, highlighting their influence and legacy in the world of fashion photography on a national and international scale.
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