From Jerry Hall posing backstage to Donatella Versace letting her hair down at an after-show party, celebrity photographer Gavin Bond has a knack for capturing some of the most famous names in fashion and culture in his iconic fashion images. And like all good photographers, he has managed to capture those candid moments when his subjects are most at ease.
From 15-29 September, and coinciding with London Fashion Week, Claridge's swish new ArtSpace will exhibit the celebrity photographer's unseen archive imagery from the early 90s fashion scene in a specially curated 4-D showcase. Expect plenty of large-scale prints, plus displays of Bond's many scrapbooks. There are also collections of 90s headline catwalk show invitations and video footage from the era.
Thankfully, this unique body of work was rediscovered by Bond in lockdown. There are unseen photographs of designers Yves Saint Laurent, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Karl Lagerfeld amongst many others. Kristen McMenamy quaffing Moët & Chandon backstage at John Galliano is another memorable image. And then there are the supermodels of the time – from Kate and Naomi to Claudia and Carla.
Bond's passion for photography began at Central Saint Martins in the late 80s, where notable alumni and contemporaries included John Galliano, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney. As a CSM fashion student, he was invited to attend fashion week shows where he was never without his camera. With a youthful lack of inhibition, he managed to get unfettered access backstage. His signature characteristics - the shallow depth of field, an occasional blur of movement, and softness of detail - all convey the sensation of catching fleeting glimpses at an iconic moment in fashion history.