A celebration of identity and individual human beauty, this vibrant monograph is the first book dedicated to fashion photographer Nadine Ijewere—the first Black woman photographer to land a cover of Vogue in the magazine’s 125-year history.
Dazzling color, dreamlike backgrounds, and a fierce gaze are the hallmarks of Ijewere’s work. But most important to the London photographer is subversion of traditional concepts of beauty. In fashion work, editorials, advertisements, and film stills, Ijewere draws not only on her roots in Nigeria and Jamaica, but also on her own experiences as a young Black woman in South East London whose skin color, hair, and body type were nowhere to be found in the pages of magazines. Ijewere’s vibrantly colored, brilliantly staged pictures often focus on themes of identity and diversity, and feature nontraditional subjects that celebrate the uniqueness of disparate cultures. This first monograph includes images from her series of Jamaicans across different generations; photographs of young people defying gender norms on the streets of Lagos; along with editorial work she has created for Vogue, and fashion shoots for Stella McCartney, Dior, Gap, Hermes, and Valentino. At the vanguard of a history-changing artistic movement, Ijewere’s remarkable career has made her one of the most sought-after fashion photographers working today.
Biography
Nadine Ijewere
Nadine Ijewere has worked with Dior, Hermes, Nina Ricci, Valentino, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and Garage Magazine. Her work was featured in the 2016 Tate Britain Generation exhibition at the 2017 Unseen Amsterdam and Lagos Photo festivals, and in Antwaun Sargent’s The New Black Vanguard—Photography between Art and Fashion. Ijewere received the 2020 ICP Infinity Award: Applied for her first solo exhibition Tallawah.
Lynette Nylander
Lynette Nylander is a writer and editorial and creative director. She is currently the Executive Editorial Director of Dazed. She regularly contributes to titles such as Vogue, T Magazine, Elle, The Fader, AnOther Magazine, Evening Standard, Buffalo Zine, Net-A-Porter, SSENSE, amongst others.
