Fashion, eroticism and creativity, the photos of Mert and Marcus in a book

A few days ago, Kim Kardashian exceeded expectations on Instagram, again, when she posted a picture of herself, in a tree. A few hours later, the image had racked up more than a million likes. Last Thursday during Fashion Week, the Public Hotel in New York hosted a party that will go down in history for its sheer number of models and celebrities per square meter.

It should be pointed out the photography duo responsible for all this overexcitement - verging on the irrational - have for nearly 20 years been generously serving the world of fashion. They’ve photographed the hottest models from Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bundchen, Lara Stone to Mariacarla Boscono, the biggest stars from Angelina Jolie and Rihanna to Jennifer Lopez, worked with the most influential houses including Gucci and Versace and signed endless covers of glossy magazines like Numéro, Vogue (US, Paris and Italy), W and Interview. 

Having started out in 1998, Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott reached the pinnacle of fashion photography thanks to their images of sexualised yet powerful women, intense colours and fashion campaigns and shoots where the avant-garde flirts openly with the commercial. Their oeuvre, heavily inspired by Guy Bourdin, pioneered the concept of ‘porno chic’ which they elevated to the status of art along with Mario Testino.

This autumn, for the first time, the most subversive duo in fashion are publishing a book of some 300 images drawn from their smouldering archives.

Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

Charlotte Cotton
Bound in a luxury box set, 31,5 x 42 cm, 408 pages