For a long time, brands have used every means to stay away from the street in order not to damage their respectable image… Not only has this timidity completely disappeared, but nowadays brands are showing more and more interest in all these urban influences that were once so widely disparaged. The hushed world of luxury even sees it as an opportunity to get a facelift; the big companies are revamping their communication strategy through the multiplication of capsule collaborations, inspired by the new darlings of street art. Fashion Shows are permeated by the street, not the other way around. Whether creative, daring or whimsical, streetwear codes are tracked down, copied or revisited but above all immortalized by talented street photographers, mindful of the fact that the most important thing may not be what you wear, but rather the way you wear it…

Bill Cunningham

If classical photography sometimes has trouble reinforcing its’ status as the 8th art, street photography has earned its’ stripes in the fashion world. Making the street the most representative source of inspiration of the moment, professionals and amateurs alike, are taking advantage of this new playground to spot the trends of the future.

However, it is nothing new, since the phenomenon had already been initiated in the middle of the 20th century by the pioneer in this field, Vivian Maier, a housekeeper by profession but an exceptional amateur photographer. The work of this virtuoso portrait painter remained confidential for nearly a century, only revealed to the general public in 2008! Another major actor, Bill Cunningham, a style hunter for the New York Times, who for over 60 years has shot the most charismatic individuals in the streets of the Big Apple, in search of the ideal shot. But the keystone of street photography remains Scott Schuman, founder of “The Sartorialist”, the first to conceptualize fashion photography as a blog.

Street photography depicts this social reality, of which fashion, in perpetual quest for renewal, could only take hold. Even if the task seems easy, going through urban fashion landscape requires more than just a camera…

In order to acquire all the basic techniques of this discipline, IFA Paris has organized a short course in Fashion Cool Hunting, which will take place in July, hosted by Ana Garmendia, journalist, author and street photographer. Theoretical courses and advice will alternate with practical workshops and incursions into the streets of the French capital. At the end of this seminar, you will be able to identify fashion trends and have a more precise approach to lifestyles. This other vision of fashion, punctuated by new inspiring landmarks, should lead to the intensification of all your creative talents!