It’s not often that I discover an ’80s fashion photographer whose name I didn’t already know. I was — and still am — obsessive about reading cutlines and photo credits. What’s also rare is that I stumble across a photographer whose work I instantly love in the most unlikely of publications: Vogue Patterns.
Now don’t get me wrong. I love me some Vogue Patterns magazines. I have plenty and as a lifelong home seamstress I have always enjoyed flipping through the pages and taking note of the latest designer sewing patterns. Plus, it’s fun and mildly amusing to see big-name photographers like Arthur Elgort shooting for what’s essentially a catalogue. But my favourite experience in revisiting back-issues of the magazine is happening upon the work of Steve Hiett.
Vogue Patterns may be a glorified catalogue, but Hiett’s images stood out with their stark simplicity, his use of location and architecture, concrete and green space — all visual elements I’m immediately drawn to. Just scroll through the pictures below and you’ll see what I mean.
All photographs by Steve Hiett originally appeared in the January/February 1982 and May/June 1982 issues of Vogue Patterns magazine.
