William Wegman / Fashion Photographs

by William (photographs Wegman

William Wegman didn’t always dress up his dogs. But one day in the late 1980s, after taking a good, long look at his canine companion Fay Ray, he decided to literally put this “woman of power, depth, and hypnotic beauty” on a pedestal. Before long, with a little fabric here and a few touches there, the naturally graceful Fay and her charismatic progeny were the subjects of multiple series of fanciful large-format photographs.

William Wegman Fashion Photographs, originally published to accompany a major traveling exhibition, highlights one of the artist’s most provocative and inventive portfolios: a collection of more than fifty eerily anthropomorphic and very funny high-fashion pictures shot with a 20 x 24” Polaroid camera. Modeling clothes and accessories by some of the world’s most well-known designers, including Jean Paul Gaultier, Helmut Lang, Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Todd Oldham, and Anna Sui, canine supermodels Battina, Chundo, Chooky, and Chip display all the attitude and insouciance of their human counterparts. Coyly confident yet vulnerable, mysterious yet utterly familiar, they play on our cultures obsession with beauty, style, luxury, and celebrity.

A candid preface by Wegman and an insightful foreword by Vanity Fair editor Ingrid Sischy set the stage for these remarkable photographs, providing more information about the artist, his unusual models, and the unique relationship they have with one another—and with fashion.

Genres: Dogs, Art

76 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Maya Zivkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the best I have read in a while. It was so insightful, and it really resonated with me. I could really feel the meaning behind each photograph. Absolutely stunning.

[Simms Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s difficult to put into words the feelings generated by these photographs. First thought, yes, is the humor. But then as the gimmick fades, what remains is incredible fashion photography. The beauty of the products, the use of weight and color, evoking a feeling or a tone with minimal narrative affordances.

There’s so much instruction in what makes a compelling marketing photograph when it becomes abstracted. Not dissimilar from artists practicing drawing upside down. And from 25+ years ago, it’s incredible how well these photos would still work in media today.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of William Wegman's classic work will rejoice in this adorable collection of doggies on the (figurative) runway. If you're already a fan, then this book is no doubt already in your collection. For those not in the loop, Wegman is a master photographer who marries conceptual humor and technical finesse into light-hearted imagery of his beloved Weimaraner dogs. Today's theme is fashion! Quirky, sassy, fun and unique, Wegman's "Fashion" is a wonderfully inspiring collection for the artistic-minded photographer searching for inspiration or just the everyday dog-lover looking for a laugh. And how can you beat that bargain price? My copy was a steal at $10!

[Christyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the library because, well - I was curious. I'm still sort of puzzled by the book to be honest. It's certainly unique and unexpected - I just didn't really get it, if there was anything to get in the first place. It's dogs, dressed up - some anthropomorphized others not so much. All I could think was those are some of the most patient and tolerant dogs I've ever seen. So maybe the combination of Fashion and Dogs just didn't work for me. It was okay - It just didn't click with me.