Denis Piel: Photography, Fashion, and Flowers

Fashion and cultural historian Laura McLaws Helms speaks with photographer and filmmaker Denis Piel. Born in France and raised in Australia, Denis Piel began shooting advertising work in the 1960s, establishing his own studio before discovering a passion for fashion photography. After moving to Europe in the early 1970s, he shot for many of the hippest young fashion magazines, like French Elle and Honey. In 1979, Piel moved to New York, where his work brought him to the attention of Alexander Liberman, the legendary art director of American Vogue, who contracted him to shoot exclusively for Condé Nast. Over the next eleven years, Piel shot more than a thousand editorial spreads and celebrity portraits for the American, German, Italian, French, and British editions of Vogue, while also photographing for Vanity Fair, Self, and GQ. In the middle of the decade, he established a film production company and began shooting commercials, most famously for Donna Karan. After he left Condé Nast to concentrate on directing, Denis continued to shoot commercials while also making a feature-length documentary, Love is Blind. In the early 2000s, Denis and his family left New York and moved permanently to a Renaissance chateau in South-West France. There, he has focused on art photography, much of it inspired by the gardens and local environment. This conversation delves into all aspects of his career and photography; from the cameras he uses to his many collaborators and inspirations. To sign up for my newsletter, visit https://laurakitty.substack.com/ For full show notes, episode resources, video clips, and a slideshow of photographs, head to https://sighswhispers.com/episode-48-denis-piel Produced and hosted by Laura McLaws Helms Featured Guest Denis Piel