Perhaps no other man—or more specifically, fashion photographer—has talked as many supermodels and icons into disrobing as Sante D’Orazio has (see below). For starters, there’s Stephanie Seymour, Heidi Klum, Kate Moss, and Angelina Jolie.
But D’Orazio’s photography went well beyond bare skin. His work, alongside the images of peer Peter Lindbergh, helped define a decade of glamour. The highly stylized nature of his sensual portraits seemed to capture the zeitgeist of the ’90s, when femininity reigned supreme in the fashion world.
Growing up in Brooklyn, the photographer’s ability to distill the essence of a moment into a single image was evident to his Italian-immigrant parents early on. With the aura of Europe in his eyes, the photographer made a fortuitous trip to Italy, that began his career with a two-page spread published in Italian Vogue. Upon his return, the photographer shot an assignment for Andy Warhol, published in Interview.
D’Orazio then took the world of fashion world by storm, rising quickly amongst its ranks to define a decades-long aesthetic—before retreating into relative obscurity in order to try his hand at fine art.
The photographer returns to his original love with the release of his book, Polaroids, a look into the American photographer’s personal collection of intimate portraits of supermodels and rock stars.
Shot as casual warmups for the official shoots or lighting tests, the series of 105 Polaroids from the last 30 years jumps off the page. (D’Orazio’s referred to the photographic medium as “consciously reduced, [an] almost poetic publication.“) Polaroids presents D’Orazio’s signature style—glamorously celebrating sex appeal—in a book that’s as captivating as it is thought provoking.
Take a look at some of D’Orazio’s personal favorites from that storied career in fashion photography below. If you’re interested, you can buy a copy for $23 here.
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.
