| General info : | | Gunnar Larsen (born November 5, 1930, Denmark - died July 30, 1990, Paris, France) was a Danish fashion photographer and magazine publisher based in Paris.
Originally a freelance journalist in Denmark (Aftenbladet; Frederiksbergbladet; Ekstra Bladet), he found his true calling when he was assigned to Paris as a correspondent in 1963.
Initially, Gunnar Larsen wrote about the life of Danish expatriates in France. However, he was unsatisfied with the pictures provided by associated photographers, and taught himself photography to illustrate his articles.
He captured many celebrities when he covered the cinema festivals as a regular correspondent for the Jyllands Posten. Then, fashion editor Birte Strandgaard from Ekstra Bladet asked him to cover fashion events more specifically, and gradually fashion photography took precedence over journalism.
Larsen remained an independent fashion photographer and created his own avant-garde fashion magazine to freely self-publish his daring photographs. Mode International (1973-1979), Mode Avantgarde (1978-1980), Gunnar International (1980-1990) showcased his very distinctive style.
Gunnar Larsen established his distinctive style in fashion photography, characterized by sharp and graphic black-and white images with high-contrast. His work showcased strong women wearing couture, striking daring poses on the street of Paris.
His fascination with avant-garde fashion, coupled with his eagerness to be innovative, led Gunnar Larsen to closely follow and photograph the creations of alternative designers who were revolutionizing the fashion world. From the very beginning, he intensely photographed the creations of designers such as Paco Rabanne, André Courrèges, Pierre Cardin, Ted Lapidus, Jean Voigt, or later Jean-Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake, and so forth.
In the 1970s, Larsen started to manipulate more and more the result of his captures in the darkroom. He pushed the exposure to the extreme to achieve his desired effect. The noses had to disappear and be reduced to the shadow of their nostrils. The faces became paler and paler until they became deathly white, their contour faded and their gaze intense.
In late 1973, he cofounded Mode International, where he was the editor-in-chief and provided 80% of the photographs. Foreign editions were published in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the UK and the US. The magazine transitioned to a monthly publication in 1977, reaching a circulation of 50 000 copies before Gunnar Larsen was excluded due to a disagreement with a suddenly major American commercial partner.
Gunnar Larsen quickly rebounded by launching Mode Avantgarde in 1978, which he presented as “a magazine that wants to express its opinion, present fashion journalistically, an original take on photography”.
In 1980 he launched Gunnar’s, which later became Gunnar International in 1983. The magazine was edited until his death in 1990. Gunnar International was hand-bound due to its large size (approx. 34 x 49 cm), weighted nearly 2 kg, and featured high-quality glossy paper. It was dubbed “the most expensive magazine in the world” at 100 francs.
While he also worked with more established models, he remained committed to give aspiring models a chance. He considered himself as a mentor and even authored a book in Danish about the intricacies of entering the modeling industry (Drommepiger, G.E.C. Gads Forlag, 1986).
Additionally, Gunnar Larsen played a pivotal role in the early success of John Casablancas, convincing him to start a model agency (Elysée 3, later Elite), and helping him recruit the first models from northern countries.
Gunnar Larsen passed away on July 30, 1990, in Paris, the city he loved so much. He was laid to rest in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. | |
| Contact info | | | |
| Websites | | https://www.gunnarlarsen.fr/ (www.gunnarlarsen.fr/) | |
| Source : | | https://www.gunnarlarsen.fr/about (www.gunnarlarsen.fr/about) | |
| Relations : | | : | |
| Copied Wikipedia parts under license : | | | |
| Copied Wikipedia parts under license : | | | |
| Websites | | Instagram (www.instagram.com/gunnarlarsen.archive/) | |
| General info : | Gunnar Larsen (born November 5, 1930, Denmark - died July 30, 1990, Paris, France) was a Danish fashion photographer and magazine publisher based in Paris.
Originally a freelance journalist in Denmark (Aftenbladet; Frederiksbergbladet; Ekstra Bladet), he found his true calling when he was assigned to Paris as a correspondent in 1963.
Initially, Gunnar Larsen wrote about the life of Danish expatriates in France. However, he was unsatisfied with the pictures provided by associated photographers, and taught himself photography to illustrate his articles.
He captured many celebrities when he covered the cinema festivals as a regular correspondent for the Jyllands Posten. Then, fashion editor Birte Strandgaard from Ekstra Bladet asked him to cover fashion events more specifically, and gradually fashion photography took precedence over journalism.
Larsen remained an independent fashion photographer and created his own avant-garde fashion magazine to freely self-publish his daring photographs. Mode International (1973-1979), Mode Avantgarde (1978-1980), Gunnar International (1980-1990) showcased his very distinctive style.
Gunnar Larsen established his distinctive style in fashion photography, characterized by sharp and graphic black-and white images with high-contrast. His work showcased strong women wearing couture, striking daring poses on the street of Paris.
His fascination with avant-garde fashion, coupled with his eagerness to be innovative, led Gunnar Larsen to closely follow and photograph the creations of alternative designers who were revolutionizing the fashion world. From the very beginning, he intensely photographed the creations of designers such as Paco Rabanne, André Courrèges, Pierre Cardin, Ted Lapidus, Jean Voigt, or later Jean-Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake, and so forth.
In the 1970s, Larsen started to manipulate more and more the result of his captures in the darkroom. He pushed the exposure to the extreme to achieve his desired effect. The noses had to disappear and be reduced to the shadow of their nostrils. The faces became paler and paler until they became deathly white, their contour faded and their gaze intense.
In late 1973, he cofounded Mode International, where he was the editor-in-chief and provided 80% of the photographs. Foreign editions were published in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the UK and the US. The magazine transitioned to a monthly publication in 1977, reaching a circulation of 50 000 copies before Gunnar Larsen was excluded due to a disagreement with a suddenly major American commercial partner.
Gunnar Larsen quickly rebounded by launching Mode Avantgarde in 1978, which he presented as “a magazine that wants to express its opinion, present fashion journalistically, an original take on photography”.
In 1980 he launched Gunnar’s, which later became Gunnar International in 1983. The magazine was edited until his death in 1990. Gunnar International was hand-bound due to its large size (approx. 34 x 49 cm), weighted nearly 2 kg, and featured high-quality glossy paper. It was dubbed “the most expensive magazine in the world” at 100 francs.
While he also worked with more established models, he remained committed to give aspiring models a chance. He considered himself as a mentor and even authored a book in Danish about the intricacies of entering the modeling industry (Drommepiger, G.E.C. Gads Forlag, 1986).
Additionally, Gunnar Larsen played a pivotal role in the early success of John Casablancas, convincing him to start a model agency (Elysée 3, later Elite), and helping him recruit the first models from northern countries.
Gunnar Larsen passed away on July 30, 1990, in Paris, the city he loved so much. He was laid to rest in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. | Gunnar Larsen (born November 5, 1930, Denmark - died July 30, 1990, Paris, France (aged 59)) was a Danish fashion photographer and magazine publisher based in Paris.
Originally a freelance journalist in Denmark (Aftenbladet; Frederiksbergbladet; Ekstra Bladet), he found his true calling when he was assigned to Paris as a correspondent in 1963.
Initially, Gunnar Larsen wrote about the life of Danish expatriates in France. However, he was unsatisfied with the pictures provided by associated photographers, and taught himself photography to illustrate his articles.
He captured many celebrities when he covered the cinema festivals as a regular correspondent for the Jyllands Posten. Then, fashion editor Birte Strandgaard from Ekstra Bladet asked him to cover fashion events more specifically, and gradually fashion photography took precedence over journalism.
Larsen remained an independent fashion photographer and created his own avant-garde fashion magazine to freely self-publish his daring photographs. Mode International (1973-1979), Mode Avantgarde (1978-1980), Gunnar International (1980-1990) showcased his very distinctive style.
Gunnar Larsen established his distinctive style in fashion photography, characterized by sharp and graphic black-and white images with high-contrast. His work showcased strong women wearing couture, striking daring poses on the street of Paris.
His fascination with avant-garde fashion, coupled with his eagerness to be innovative, led Gunnar Larsen to closely follow and photograph the creations of alternative designers who were revolutionizing the fashion world. From the very beginning, he intensely photographed the creations of designers such as Paco Rabanne, André Courrèges, Pierre Cardin, Ted Lapidus, Jean Voigt, or later Jean-Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake, and so forth.
In the 1970s, Larsen started to manipulate more and more the result of his captures in the darkroom. He pushed the exposure to the extreme to achieve his desired effect. The noses had to disappear and be reduced to the shadow of their nostrils. The faces became paler and paler until they became deathly white, their contour faded and their gaze intense.
In late 1973, he cofounded Mode International, where he was the editor-in-chief and provided 80% of the photographs. Foreign editions were published in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the UK and the US. The magazine transitioned to a monthly publication in 1977, reaching a circulation of 50 000 copies before Gunnar Larsen was excluded due to a disagreement with a suddenly major American commercial partner.
Gunnar Larsen quickly rebounded by launching Mode Avantgarde in 1978, which he presented as “a magazine that wants to express its opinion, present fashion journalistically, an original take on photography”.
In 1980 he launched Gunnar’s, which later became Gunnar International in 1983. The magazine was edited until his death in 1990. Gunnar International was hand-bound due to its large size (approx. 34 x 49 cm), weighted nearly 2 kg, and featured high-quality glossy paper. It was dubbed “the most expensive magazine in the world” at 100 francs.
While he also worked with more established models, he remained committed to give aspiring models a chance. He considered himself as a mentor and even authored a book in Danish about the intricacies of entering the modeling industry (Drommepiger, G.E.C. Gads Forlag, 1986).
Additionally, Gunnar Larsen played a pivotal role in the early success of John Casablancas, convincing him to start a model agency (Elysée 3, later Elite), and helping him recruit the first models from northern countries.
Gunnar Larsen passed away on July 30, 1990, in Paris, the city he loved so much. He was laid to rest in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. | |