The photographers who decided how fashion looks on the page.
By Shreya S · Last reviewed 2 November 2026
Who are the most influential fashion photographers?
| Photographer | Known for |
|---|---|
| Edward Steichen | Among the first modern fashion photographs, of Paul Poiret’s designs in 1911 |
| Cecil Beaton | Romantic society portraits and Vogue covers |
| Irving Penn | Minimal studio portraits and still lifes |
| Richard Avedon | Movement and energy, including “Dovima with Elephants” (1955) |
| Helmut Newton | Provocative, powerful women in black and white |
| Guy Bourdin | Surreal, saturated images for Charles Jourdan and French Vogue |
| Peter Lindbergh | The natural black-and-white supermodel image of 1990 |
| Steven Meisel | Decades of Vogue Italia covers and narrative shoots |
| Tim Walker and Nick Knight | Fantasy and experimentation |
What is a fashion editorial?
A series of fashion photographs telling a story in a magazine, created by a photographer, stylist, model, hair and make-up team. Unlike an advertising campaign, it is commissioned by the magazine.
Read on Ayerhs: Meisel, Vogue Italia December 2009 · State of Emergency, Vogue Italia September 2006 · Floating, Vogue Italia March 1999 · Paris Mon Amour, Vogue Paris August 2012 · From Vogue to Vlog