On Set with the Late Fashion Photographer Patrick Demarchelier

by Christina Donoghue on 1 April 2022

Patrick Demarchelier, the legendary French fashion photographer, dies at 78.

Patrick Demarchelier, the legendary French fashion photographer, dies at 78.

Patrick Demarchelier

SHOWstudio are incredibly saddened to hear of the passing of fashion great, the photographer Patrick Demarchelier. His death was announced via Instagram in a post that reads: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Patrick Demarchelier on March 31st 2022, at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife Mia, his three sons Gustaf, Arthur, Victor and three grandchildren.'

Blessed with a magical charm that put anyone he worked with at ease, Patrick Demarchelier, as fondly recounted by Sam McKnight in a SHOWstudio interview, was as speedy with his shutter lens as he was gentle with his manner, putting all his sitters at ease. The Frenchman was the first non-British photographer to be invited to photograph a member of the Royal Family, and as his first pictures of the late Princess Diana appeared in Vogue in December 1989, he then continued to photograph her throughout her life.

Completely self-taught, Demarchelier's talent was of a pure and natural kind. In 2003, he said: 'I have no formal qualifications, just the school of life. I learned most by just taking pictures; a lot of pictures. I've made plenty of mistakes, but it's often from your mistakes that you learn most. Being a photographer is like being an athlete. You must practice every day.'

Having never feared from pushing boundaries to create some of the 20th century's most iconic and celebrated fashion imagery, Demarchelier will be remembered for a long time by close friends and the industry that raised him.

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Fashion Film

Fashion Film: Patrick Demarchelier

25 September 2005
30 seconds on set with the world renowned fashion photographer.
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