+44 (0)20 7942 2000

Thursday 26 September 2024 – Thursday 31 October 2024
14.00 – 16.30
V&A Academy Online
Course price £130.00
Call +44 (0)20 7942 2000 to book
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Learn about the history of fashion photography in this six-week course covering fashion photography in the V&A’s collection and beyond, from the blossoming magazine industry of the early 1900s to striking contemporary innovations. Hear from curators, photographers and leading industry creatives who are revolutionising the field.

Learn from our world-class experts wherever you are, whenever suits you: watch lectures live or view the recording later in your own time. You can experience the full breadth and depth of the V&A's collections with 12 hours of study over 6 weeks. Learn at your own pace: lecture recordings and study materials, lecture notes, copies of the presentations, and additional study materials are available in our secure Microsoft Teams environment for 6 weeks after the course ends, so you'll never miss a thing. And finally, join the conversation: share your perspective with your fellow students, and support each other in your further enquiries outside of class time.

Course Leader
Lydia Caston

Lydia Caston is Project Curator at the V&A specialising in fashion photography. She was the Assistant Curator of Tim Walker: Wonderful Things and one of the curators of Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection. Recent contributions to publications include George Hoyningen Huene: Photography, Fashion, Film.

Thank you for making these courses possible. I love the opportunity to learn with people who are so knowledgeable and interesting. Previous V&A Academy Student

Fashion photographers have continually pushed boundaries and the tension between artistic and commercial demands has generated creativity and technical innovation. The emergence of fashion photography as a distinct genre goes hand in hand with the burgeoning illustrated magazine industry. Publications such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar employed some of the period’s most celebrated photographers in the realm of fine art to capture couture. Today, artists have documented the ever-changing landscape of streetwear, celebrating self-made garments and individual expression. As editorial shoots or advertisements, fashion pictures have helped to shape culture.

This six-week course will chart the evolution of fashion photography, taught by V&A curators, scholars and magazine creatives – and drawing from original examples from the museum’s collection – this course provides an opportunity to engage more deeply with fashion photography’s multiple meanings and possibilities. You will also gain an exclusive insight into exhibition-making at the V&A, hearing about our most recent shows NAOMI and Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection.

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V&A Academy Online. A learning environment you can trust.

Our courses are built using the latest Microsoft software. Tune in to expert lectures live or catch up on demand. Join discussions and continue your learning with downloadable handouts and presentations.
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