Malick Sidibe, Alec Soth, and Fashion Photography

Today's New York Times Sunday Magazine (April 5, 2009) has one the most fun fashion spreads I've seen in a long time. Shot by the Malian photographer Malick Sidibe, it is, as the dek states, "a riot of checks, stripes, patterns and polka dots." Most likely it's a good thing that the spread is in b&w because it would probably be overwhelmingly psychedelic in color.

The other interesting thing about the fashion depicted is that it feels organic. Most Vogue, Harper's, etc. fashion spreads feel as if someone imposed a look onto the models; I often feel as if such a look would exist only on the pages of a magazine. Despite the fact that the clothes and accessories are Christian Lacroix, Missoni, Miu Miu and Armani, the look feels as if it walked in off the street. And given the similarity between these images and what Sidibe has done in the past, that is likely the case. Regardless, the images are fantastic.

You can see the images here but they look even better at the size the magazine prints.


The same issue features a nice portrait and some mundane scene-setters by Alec Soth. The subject is Michelle Obama's cousin, Capers Funnye, who is chief rabbi of one of the largest black synagogues in in the U.S.

One of the most banal and least interesting covers they've done in a long time.