Pop Portraiture

While I devour the work of my favourite street style snappers--namely Garance Dore, Scott Schumann and Tommy Ton--there is an over-saturation of hipster "style" documentation that I find troublesome and horribly formulaic in its contrived irreverence.  It's often ugly, ill fitting, slutty and worn while pouting.  You're edgy.  I. Get. It.  But it furrows my brow.

Refusing to post those images here, I wanted to share you two alternative portraits. 

This picture is from LookBook, who have just kindly invited me to participate in their amazing online pictorial merry-go-round of worldly style.  I love how the subject is self-fashioned in costume, rather than common clothes.  He is creating a character, evoking a persona, taking a risk.  Plus he is rather pretty, dandyish really.   This artfulness elevates the image from just another attention-hungry poser.  

Speaking of dandies, here is a film portrait of Rick Owens by the legendary photographer Nick Knight.  Mr. Owens has a whiff of dandyism to him that fascinates me--perhaps because it's the topic of my pending paper I need to quit putting off. I love the displaced heady drama, the choppy perspective.  Rick is It.