The portrait and fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier died at 78 years old. Known and loved in the world of photography and fashion for his elegant yet natural style, he achieved fame by portraying the Princess Diana.
Lady D’s photographer Patrick Demarchelier has died
Born in France in Le Havre on 21 August 1943, Demarchelier enters the world of photography without a formal education. He will say his career “She came to me”, without him actually planning it. His stepfather when he was a teenager he gave away his first camera. Which he used to work on weddings and to take photographs for documents.
At the age of 20 he arrives in Paris, where he works for the Vogue photographer Hans Feurer. In 1975 he moved to New York to follow his girlfriend. There he works for Vogue America and in 1977 he published his first cover, starting a splendid career as a portraitist and fashion photographer.
Work for Harper’s Bazar, Rolling Stone, Life and many other historical magazines, photographing personalities from Madonna a Naomi Campbell. In Italy he makes two calendars Pirelli. Take photographs for any fashion brand, from Chanel a Louis Vitton passing through Armani e Ferré. So much so that film lovers will remember that he is mentioned several times in the film The devil wears Prada, as a cornerstone of the fashion world.
But perhaps the work he’s best known for is shooting for Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales. In fact, Patrick Demarchelier was the first non-British to become an official portraitist of the English Crown.
An undisputed master, who leaves us an unparalleled photographic legacy. Our condolences go out to wife Mia, three children and three grandchildren.