Teddy Girl - Mason Tepper

Nov 7

While looking for inspiration in the art of the 1950s I stumbled upon the photography of Richard Avedon. I was specifically struck with his editorial fashion photography and their strong sense of movement. Avedon crafted angular lines and beautiful curves with the bodies of his models creating photos with energetic shapes and rich characters. Inspired by Avedon, I attempted to recreate his use of movement to create character in my photo series.

During my dive into Avedon’s photography I was also looking at two fashion movements. The first, Teddy Boy, a 50’s British subculture in which young men dressed in clothing inspired by the dandies of the Edwardian period. The second, the modern trend of oversized and exaggerated silhouettes spearheaded by high fashion brands such as Gucci, Raf Simmons and Balenciaga. These two movements informed the styling of the shoot leading me to use old pieces in new unconventional ways (rolling them up or putting them on backwards) or even creating new pieces such as the long armed dress shirt. This series began with a goal of wanted more movement in my photography then transformed with the amalgamation of my inspirations.