Eugène Vernier – Fashion, femininity & form

Vernier was innovative in his choice of locations and in the way he captured their essence in his backgrounds. But most especially his skill was in the way he composed his shots, blending the elements of the model, the clothes, moment and place. Uninterested in the cult of celebrity, he regarded himself as a craftsman in the trade of fashion photography, seeking to bring out the very best of every element. The Vernier ‘look’ is one of femininity; he captured his models when they were relaxed, enjoying wearing the clothes and confident that the photographer would only show both model and clothes at their best. He saw himself as working not only for the magazine, but also for the clothes and accessories makers, and most especially for the readers of Vogue. Within the frame, he was an artist. For most of Vernier’s time at Vogue, the vast majority of the imagery was in black and white, (and the reader was given a description of the missing colours). His choice reveals much about the secrets of his composition, not so much in the positioning of the elements, but in the sense of movement he brought to the image. Vernier was born in 1920 in southern France. During the war he worked as a war correspondent and a newsreel cameraman, documenting the exploits of the Free French forces under General de Gaulle. He worked for Pathé News in London, before opening his own London studio as a freelance photographer.