Steven Meisel

Steven Meisel (b. 1954) is an American fashion photographer whose visionary work has shaped the visual language of contemporary fashion. Born and raised in New York City, Meisel studied fashion illustration at the High School of Art and Design and later at Parsons School of Design. He began his career as an illustrator for Halston and Women's Wear Daily before transitioning to photography, initially shooting test images for aspiring models at Elite Model Management. His early photographs caught the attention of Seventeen magazine, launching a prolific career behind the camera.

Meisel is perhaps best known for his unparalleled tenure at Vogue Italia, where he photographed every cover from 1988 to 2018, collaborating closely with editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani. Together, they produced editorial narratives that blended high fashion with incisive social commentary, as exemplified by the 2005 ‘Makeover Madness’ series. His work also includes the controversial 1992 book Sex with Madonna, which challenged conventional boundaries between fashion and erotica.

Throughout his career, Meisel has been instrumental in igniting the careers of numerous supermodels, including Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Kristen McMenamy. His collaborations extend to major fashion houses such as Prada, Valentino and Louis Vuitton, for whom he has crafted iconic advertising campaigns.

Known for his chameleonic style, Meisel draws inspiration from a wide array of sources, including performance art, classical painting and cinema. His photographs often explore themes of identity, beauty and transformation, employing a rich visual lexicon that challenges and redefines fashion imagery.

Despite his significant influence, Meisel maintains a reclusive public persona, rarely giving interviews or making public appearances. His work, however, continues to speak volumes, cementing his status as a seminal figure in the evolution of fashion photography.